


Of Autumn

by Stringlish



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: A bunch of assholes try to make shit hard for Eren, Ackerman Witches, Alive Kuchel Ackerman, All the Ackermans are badasses, But he's still shady af, Character's Name Spelled as Jaeger, Dead Carla Yeager, Dhampirs, Eren Yeager Needs a Hug, Eren probably has PTSD, Eren travels a lot for reasons, French-Speaking Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), French-speaking Ackerman Family, Friends to Lovers, Genderfluid Character, Genderfluid Hange Zoë, Good Dad-Figure! Hannes, Grisha Yeager's Bad Parenting, Hanji ships it, It's Not Paranoia If They're Really Out To Get You, Jaeger Family Hunters, Kenny is a shithead, Kenny ships it, Kuchel ships it, Levi is so screwed, Long Haired!Eren, M/M, Nice Kenny Ackerman, Past Hunter!Eren, Some canon elements or parallels, Supernatural Elements, Supernatural violence, Supportive Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), TeaShopOwner!Levi, Wayfarer!Eren, Werewolf Lore, awkward sex jokes, full moon shenanigans, human!isabel, they/them pronouns, vampire lore, vampire!farlan, werewolf!eren, witch!levi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-01-04 22:00:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 55,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12177339
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stringlish/pseuds/Stringlish
Summary: Life altering events force Eren to make a choice, to live alone in isolation, or to be hunted by the very same people he once called family and friends.Up until 6 months ago, Eren was alone.He wouldn’t have even considered making connections, staying in one spot, or allowing himself to become comfortable. But, 6 months ago the moon shone, bright and brilliant and full, bathing a certain person in ethereal light. On this very night, a certain wolf encroached on this person’s full moon ritual watching curiously before its attention was caught by prey, chasing a raccoon right through his circle, causing a ruckus, and damn near forest fire. And much to this person’s annoyance, Eren showed up one day for tea, with no memory of this night and an odd affinity was formed.





	1. Of Pots and Kettles

**Author's Note:**

> I dunno why, but I woke up at 3 am and decided to write this. Seeing as how I haven't written anything in forever, I figured it'd be therapeutic. Hopefully, you all enjoy it too~

He kept his head low and the hood of his winter coat drawn tight. With the passing of the equinox, the weather steadily became cooler, so this wasn’t too out of the ordinary. He knew how to blend into a crowd. He pulled his backpack closer as he stood, taking hold of a hand strap and allowing a pregnant woman to take his seat. 

For all intents and purposes, he looked every bit the role of a starving college student and for all intents and purposes, he was. 

The subway car came to a stop and he, along with several others, got off at the station. The autumnal chill kissed his nose and his cheeks; the downdraft coming from above ground making him pull his red scarf closer. Gripping the strap of his backpack he made his way up the steps of the subway station and out into the busy streets of the Trost district. 

At the pace of an average busybody, the man made his way down the sidewalk, following the flow of his fellow passersby. His long chestnut hair and red scarf whipping in the wind as he did. He kept a sharp eye on each person that happened to flit to and fro in front of him, each having a specific place to go.

He too had a specific destination in mind. One that a person like him; a person in his predicament, probably shouldn’t have frequented so often. In fact, he didn’t often stay in the same city for more than a few weeks at a time. Or at least that’s how it was, up until 6 months ago. 

There was something liberating about hiding in plain sight. His sanctuary, ‘The Pot and Kettle’, made it easier. 

He made his way down the busy streets until the crowd thinned, whether this was a natural occurrence or not could not be ascertained, but the shop did have a certain aura about it. This particular shop had a particular clientele and it either drew people in or repelled them completely. There was once a time in Eren’s life that he himself probably wouldn’t have set a foot through the door, but life had a funny way of throwing wrenches into everything. Not that he was complaining at the moment.

He loved this place. Probably more than he should.

Stepping through the front door, he was greeted with an immediate cozy atmosphere and a delightful chime, akin to singing bowls. The scent of caffeine was like a warm hug. It did well to calm his frayed nerves. 

“Honey, I’m home!” He called out cheekily, taking a seat in his usual spot. All jokes aside, he practically did live here. If one were to tally up how much time he spent here versus how much time he spent in his own shitty apartment, he might as well have started paying Levi rent. 

Said man gave him a soft ‘tch’ and an eye-roll in response as he busied himself helping a customer with some medicinal tea leaves. Eren smiled softly, watching the man work before he started peeling back his layers, laying his coat and scarf off to the side. Running a hand through his hair, he threw it up into a messy bun and reached for his pack. 

He didn’t have to do schoolwork, but it was mindless and took little effort. He chose to go to college, and not just to blend in. It felt like normalcy. And ‘normal’ was something he desperately wanted and needed. He busied himself while his friend worked, not at all minding being left to his own devices. 

Leaning back into his favorite couch; off to the right corner of the room, a dimly lit spot with the clearest sightlines, he let his mind drift. ‘The Kettle,’ as he affectionately called it, was a thing of beauty. The walls were a seamless blend between deep mocha and navy blue, each accentuating in nature, with warm mood lighting overhead. Crystals and candles adorned the dark modern cherrywood furniture and there was plenty of tea and coffee related art deco to go around. Shelves and bins aligned across the walls and in the center of the floor. Each littered with books of various kinds, or the odd trinkets and plants. Vines of ivy hung from the shelf tops. Some of which housed bags of coffee beans and tea leaves alike.

Though all of this was wonderful and unique by itself, the panels in the ceiling were what really caught a person's eye.

Each panel was a backlit LED screen, proudly displaying each twinkling star in the milky way galaxy. It was so impressive and breathtaking that it was almost as if the ceiling weren’t there at all. It was as if the night sky really did hang over them, and what really sold it, was that during the day, it displayed blue skies and puffy white clouds, and if it were raining outside, the display would be filled with deep gray clouds to match. 

When Eren asked him what possessed him to do it, Levi just shrugged and said simply, "why not?”

When he’d asked him how the panels seemed to know what the atmosphere outside was like at any given time, he ominously replied with “magic.” It was at this point that the brunette had rolled his eyes and stopped listening to his friend’s bullshit responses altogether. And if the cheeky smirk he gave him was any indication, Levi knew he was being a deliberate shithead.

Between the ceiling panels and his studies, Eren was so engrossed that he didn’t realize he was completely spaced out until the raven-haired man was silently sitting a cup of tea before him. 

He always seemed to know.

“To take the edge off,” he said simply.

The brunette smiled gratefully, “thanks.”

Levi sat himself in the lazy boy beside the couch, throwing an arm across the back and crossing one leg over the other in a relaxed fashion. He often did this after a rush, or when he didn’t have any customers to tend to. He was happy to let the few patrons that were still here roam around and browse through books.

“Want to talk about it?” He asked, just as he asked every time. 

Eren’s small smile didn’t fade, but it did become tighter. His hands trembled slightly as he gripped his teacup. The scent of chamomile and honey calmed him almost as much as the first sip. “Not, particularly,” he replies, “but it doesn’t make it any easier to try and ignore it either.”

“You’re not dangerous, Eren,” the raven insists, leveling his gaze with the other man. A short sigh escapes through his nose. “It might not seem like it now, and I’m sure even after all this time you are still adjusting, but you should focus more energy on your bond with the goddess, than trying to repel it.”

Eren’s expression shifts and Levi can tell he’s ready to retort and simply lifts a hand in pause. Begrudgingly the brunette lets him say his piece. “I know, okay? I get it. You weren’t born into this world. You were raised differently and I know you have seen your fair share of fucked up situations, but I am just saying, the more you try to deny yourself and your body of its natural instincts, the more dangerous you _could_ become.”

Eren’s shoulders sag a bit. All his righteous indignation deflating at once, because Levi had a point. All this time he’d spent on the run, all this effort trying to control something in himself that he had no real control over, and all this energy he’d spent running from every shadow; hiding around every corner, he was wound so tightly with anxiety that he really would snap one day. He was a bomb ready to go off. 

“My offer still stands,” his friend continues. 

The brunette worries his bottom lip in thought. Taking a deep breath, he steadies himself. The scent of tea and coffee is thick in the air, along with the scent of incense and candles. The scent of Levi, himself. The very aura the man put off and the energy of the shop itself; it’s all become a balm to him these past few months. One that he’d sorely needed. He knew the man meant what he’d said. He knew he’d keep him and everyone around them safe. It didn’t completely put his mind at ease, but nothing these days ever could.

“You don’t have to,” Levi reassures. “It’s completely up to you, but you are safe here and it’s better than you running off into the forest and doing goddess knows what, and waking up covered in blood and regret.”

“You’re right…” Eren finally concedes, “I’m just worried that… I mean, just one bite could...”

“You won’t hurt me,” he assures confidently. “Who else would make you tea and put up with your bratty ass antics, if you did?”

Eren snorts in bitter amusement, "ah yes, why else would I keep coming around?”

“Obviously for my charm,” Levi rolls his eyes like it’s the only explanation.

“Yep, that’s it. That’s the reason,” he agrees through a laugh.

“Shitty brat,” Levi snorts and shakes his head. He gets to his feet as the doorbell chimes, but something in Eren’s emerald expression gives him pause.

“If anything goes wrong…” he starts, “if they were to-”

“They won’t and nothing will,” Levi replies firmly. “Now drink your tea and study. You have a test in two days, don’t you?” He reminds as he walks over to the counter and assists a young woman with her transaction. 

6 months ago, Eren was alone.

Before that, he was alone for an entire year, with this...affliction. Hating himself and those he’d called kin because of it.

Back then, he wouldn’t have even considered making connections, staying in one spot, or allowing himself to become comfortable. But, 6 months ago the moon shone, bright and brilliant and full, bathing a certain person in ethereal light. 6 months ago a certain wolf encroached on this person’s full moon ritual watching curiously before its attention was caught by prey, chasing a raccoon right through his circle, causing a ruckus and damn near forest fire. And much to this person’s annoyance, Eren showed up one day for tea, with no memory of this night and an odd affinity was formed. 

Eren didn’t know what the future held, he wasn’t a prophet or an oracle. 

He didn’t know the ways of the universe, but he did know he felt safe with Levi and it was about time he proved that with a little more trust. 

When the man finished the transaction, he came back over to Eren’s, or rather, their corner and sat himself again in the recliner. Eren finished his tea and finished scribbling some notes for his test and set his studies aside, giving Levi his full attention. 

Though his eyes were closed in what appeared to be a meditative state, Eren knew better. Levi was silently paying attention to every detail in the store around them. Eren smiled, his confidence growing, he could do this. With help. Not much got past the man before him and in the past few months of getting to know him, he was confident that if anyone could handle him wolfed out under a full moon, it was Levi. Of that, he had no doubt. 

Never in a million years would Eren have thought it would come to this. 

People like him; or who he used to be, hunted people like himself. People like Levi. Ironically, when the hunter became the hunted and everyone he knew saw him as a target, he trusted no one more than the witch. And in turn, he received no judgment. Which, relieved him to no end. 

And when he’d asked the raven why he didn’t just turn him away, the man had said, “No one is perfect. Everyone has a past. If you live with regrets, you’ll live long enough to see them destroy you. No one can predict the outcome of a situation. Life is about change and choice. From here on out, you own the choices you make.” And so he did, every day. 

Which lead him here, to this choice. 

“I…” he begins, Levi cracking open an eye in response, “I accept your offer.”

“Very well,” the raven replied, “Meet me here tomorrow, as usual, I’ll close up shop before moonrise.”

Eren gives him an affirmative nod.

Eren begins to hope.


	2. Of Atonement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Their gazes locked and the raven was slightly surprised to see that the sclera of the brunettes ocean green eyes had turned all but black.

The next day Eren trudged through his classes with sweaty palms. Full moons were always the same. He had learned to deal with them over the last year and a half, but it didn’t make him feel any more at ease. There was always that instinctual itch lying just beneath his skin and it was terribly hard to scratch. His body was progressively getting hotter, as if steam would start spouting from his ears at any given moment. 

His knee bounced nervously as he rode the subway toward downtown. One thing he loved about Trost was how big it was. It wasn’t as uppity or high-end as Mitras, but it wasn’t as backwater or rural as Shiganshina. Trost was simply a huge city that anyone could get lost in and no one would bat an eye in your direction. Everyone was always too busy or too self-absorbed to care. 

Eren stood as the subway car stopped at station 104. He and several others made their way off and up the stairs to freedom. Eren didn’t understand how people could possibly live in Mitras’ Underground. He felt claustrophobic enough just riding along in the subway car. He’d have to ask Levi about it sometime, seeing as the man was from there.

It was about 5 o’clock by the time he’d reached The Pot and Kettle’s storefront. It looked just as quaint from the outside as it did on the inside. Eren could see Isabel in the window, setting up some more autumn decorations. As he walked inside, the bells chimed and he was quite surprised. The ceiling resembled that of towering trees when looked up at from the forest floor. Each tree was different and varied in shades of oranges, golds, and reds, with the slightest of greens, splashed throughout. Some leaves shuddered in a faux breeze and some even gave the illusion of falling to the floor. The effect was made even more authentic by the fake maple leaves suspended at varying heights by clear wires. It looked absolutely stunning. If he had to guess, this was Levi’s way of providing comfort, under the guise of autumn whimsy. 

He wasn’t going to lie, while the cosmos always looked lovely overhead, this was a nice change of pace. It gave him something else to think about other than the impending moonrise. 

“Eren!” Isabel called out excitedly from her perch by the storefront window. She was busy hanging some maple leaves from those clear wires. “What do you think?”

Eren turned a full 360 degrees before stopping to face her. 

“It’s absolutely gorgeous.”

“I agree! It was all Bro’s idea!” The girl gushed in reply. 

_Bingo._

He smiled knowingly and she winked at him conspiratorially. 

He would definitely have to thank him later in some obscure way. 

Both of them weren’t exactly the gooey types when it came to voicing feelings, or accepting gifts, but they seemed to manage this unspoken thing between them. They simply just _did nice things._ And that was that. Without a word about it or an expectation of anything in return. It saved both of them from awkward fumbling. 

Maybe some giant crystal specimen would have to appear in Levi’s upper-level apartment, or maybe his herb and spice rack would have to be expanded mysteriously somehow. There were tons of options.

Eren went to his spot and curled up, pulling a book up from the side table. Since he’s had a lot of free time, when he wasn’t in classes or accosting Levi and his staff, he was reading. His poison of choice at the moment was Agatha Christie’s: _Murder on the Orient Express._ There was just something about Hercule Poirot that was fascinating. He wasn’t quite Sherlock Holmes, but he definitely had merit all of his own and a killer mustache. 

As he began to delve into murder and mystery, Isabel came over and kindly set his usual on the coffee table. He was a slave to all things caffeine, but he was definitely a sucker for chai tea. He certainly had become more cultured in these last 6 months, at least where teas were concerned. In the past, all he drank was pitch black swill that could hardly pass for a decent cup of coffee. Levi did well to remedy that as quickly as he found out, muttering something along the lines of: “...and they call me a heathen.”

To say the least, Eren found himself opening up to much more than a wide variety of caffeinated options. 

He had become much more receptive to this alternative way of living. 

In truth, before he was bitten and turned on by his own kin, he was a lot like a loaded gun. He was basically a tool that his fellow hunters had at their disposal and when pointed in a single direction, with a single purpose in mind, he acted accordingly. Killed without question. There wasn’t such a thing as morals when it came to monsters of the dark. He wasn’t even aware that monsters could function in ways that weren’t that much different than humans. The lies he was fed, the lies that he’d bought, the horrible truth of how brainwashed he’d been was astoundingly terrifying. 

And he’d only found out the truth once he became the hunted; when he became a monster himself. It was a shame that it took a reversal of roles in order to gain compassion. If he could change a single thing, he wouldn’t. Even if he terrified himself. Even if there was so much he’d yet to understand. He would rather take truth over lies any day and he’d die for that cause willingly. 

This new life of his took some adjusting, but at least he had someone who understood. At least he had someone on his side that chased the darkness away and he’d never be ungrateful for such an unexpected friend. 

Two hours passed as he read and as the sun began to sink westward he felt his heart rate increase. That nervous bouncing from before became nervous tapping or a nervous wringing of a napkin in his hands. The inferno that was lycanthropy pulsed through his veins and his skin began to take a fevered sheen.

Behind the counter Levi eyed him. Watching him carefully and then peering at the clock. It was 7:30 pm. Seeing as it was slow for a Thursday night, the raven walked over to the glass door and locked it. Flipping the open sign from on to off as he leered at the dying light. Silently he approached Eren, setting his book aside and gripping his shoulder in what he’d hoped was a calming manner. 

Eren looked up at him, forcing a small tight smile as Levi’s eyes raked across the plains of his face. Their gazes locked and the raven was slightly surprised to see that the sclera of the brunettes ocean green eyes had turned all but black. His irises began to flicker from green to gold in nervousness. 

“Hey, Izzy,” Levi called from his crouch next to Eren. 

“Yeah, Bro?” She replied from what sounded like the kitchen.

“I’ve got it from here, you can head out for the night,” his sights stayed trained on Eren as the sun made its final descent. It could be anytime now and while Isabel knew of Eren’s condition, Levi knew that if the brunette wasn’t completely comfortable with the thought of him being around during a full moon shift, he knew he wouldn’t want Isabel to be there either. “And please lock the backdoor on your way out.”

“Aye, aye, Captain!” She replied as she grabbed her belongings. She poked her head out of the kitchen door and gave them both a tentative thumbs up and took her leave. Once the doors were locked and latched, Eren heaved a sigh. 

“Thank you,” he said softly. His eyes now completely gold. 

“No need,” the raven replied. “Should we take this upstairs ...or?” He wagered tentatively.

He knew instantly that Eren was thinking about the basement, leaving Levi to pinch the bridge of his nose in consternation. “You don’t have to do that.”

“It seems like the safer option,” Eren retorts.

“For me? The shop? …Or you?” Levi counters, “because while I have less than fond memories of our first encounter, the only thing that put me off, and I do mean _the only thing_ , was that you tore up my circle during an important ritual, trying to catch some disgusting ass rodent.”

Eren smirks despite himself. He had no actual recollection of this encounter, but it must have left quite the impression seeing as Eren sought Levi out on instinct alone the next day. “Actually, Raccoons are members of the weasel family, ergo, not a rodent,” he replies, just to be a smartass. 

“That’s it, screw the basement, you’re going in the chokey and instead of the prime rib cut I got for you, I’m making you eat an entire chocolate fucking cake,” the raven sasses back.

“Okay there, Ms. Trunchbull,” Eren snarks back, sticking his tongue out. 

At this moment he begins to feel his canines elongate and it must have been fascinating to watch because Levi grew silent. 

“ ‘S close now…” the werewolf admits. 

“C’mon, brat. No basement or closets for you,” he announces firmly before Eren could complain, pulling the taller man up and pulling him toward a discreet door with a sign saying ‘staff only.' Unlocking it by key he opens the door to reveal a staircase that lead up to the second floor, or rather, Levi’s apartment. 

Eren muttered to himself in protest as he was drug up the steps and into the living area. 

“Quit being such a crybaby. We already went over the details yesterday. I already told you, it will be fine. Not only am I surrounded by wards and silver, but I also have enough wolfsbane to drop a herd of fuckin’ elephants,” the witch admits, turning around to face the wolf. 

Eren looked so nervous that Levi thought he might actually shit himself. His sclera was completely dark now, enhancing the vibrant gold of his irises. “I don’t bite, Jaeger, quit acting like you are gonna drop on deuce on my shoes.” 

“You’re not the one who has to worry about doing any biting, I, on the other hand, am contagious,” the brat remarks. 

“Then it’s a good thing I’m up to date on my rabies vaccines, you little shit. Seriously. It will be fine.” Levi gives his hand an assuring squeeze. “This is safe for everyone. _You are safe._ You have my word,” he reasons.

Eren sighs, giving a small series of nods. “Um… I can feel the shift taking hold. You wouldn’t happen to have a sheet or something?”  
The smaller man nods and leaves the room, coming back shortly with a folded white sheet.

“You know where the bathroom is, I’ll be out here when you’re done.”

Eren gives a nod and hurries along to change out of his clothes. This was already embarrassing enough without the addition of ripping his clothes to shreds. He made quick work of wrapping himself in the soft white sheet, taking a steadying breath he allowed himself to calm some. Levi’s scent was absolutely everywhere and it was a welcome comfort.

Stepping out of the bathroom and into the hall, the wolf was greeted by the raven lighting candles and incense as he softly murmured what sounded like prayers to himself. After 6 months of watching him, Eren never grew tired of the other man’s quirks. It was always fascinating to see him in his element, which brought to mind that the moon held a big significance to the witch as well. 

Was this what embracing the goddess looked like for him?

Would the moon ever be as kind to Eren?

As he felt his bones begin to shift and snap, he really hoped so.


	3. Of Moonlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Cut the shit, Eren,” he intoned with authority. He gave Eren a sharp look as he set the sachet down on the table behind him as a peace offering.
> 
> His reaction was almost laughable if it were under any other circumstance. The wolf looked as if he’d been slapped, dropping to sit on his haunches. Even as a wolf, Levi could tell Eren’s expression was indignant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who are interested to see what Eren looks like all wolfed out: https://i.pinimg.com/736x/53/8d/68/538d68b2547b2d2c0b279bbc8e44b1f1--evan-beautiful-eyes.jpg

Levi froze as he lit the candle in front of him, hearing a series of bends and snaps as bone and sinew shifted. It sounded painful, so he opted not to move. He didn’t want to startle Eren during this process. While he had every confidence that they would be fine tonight, he still had no false pretenses regarding their safety, Eren was a werewolf, plain and simple. It took years for their kind to formulate self-control and Eren wasn’t a wolfborn. He was cursed from a bite and impure. 

He turned slowly toward the source of whines and miserable low growls, silently observing the giant mass beneath his white sheet as it shifted. Even half covered Levi could see that Eren was huge. As the wolf shifted again the sheet pooled to the floor and Levi stood there in awe.

He’d heard stories from his mother and uncle about lycanthropy, but he’d never experienced meeting someone with it until Eren stumbled into his life. He hadn’t seen him like this since that first night and even then, in the darkness of the forest, he hadn’t gotten a good look. However, here in his well-lit apartment, he gathered that what he saw that first night didn’t do the wolf justice.

Levi stood his ground as Eren stood up. He was bigger than an average timber wolf and when stood on all fours he came to about Levi’s upper chest. His pelt was akin to his hair, a deep chestnut brown, with piercing gold eyes sticking out in contrast. The two stood there as if caught in a western standoff. It seemed as though Eren didn’t know what to make of him and was caught between confusion and a snarl. Levi made the first move, removing a sachet of Wolfsbane from his pocket. Eren's ears reared back and flattened and that half snarl turned into a full-on growl. Levi wasn’t having it. 

“Cut the shit, Eren,” he intoned with authority. He gave Eren a sharp look as he set the sachet down on the table behind him as a peace offering.

His reaction was almost laughable if it were under any other circumstance. The wolf looked as if he’d been slapped, dropping to sit on his haunches. Even as a wolf, Levi could tell Eren’s expression was indignant. He’d probably never been snapped at in this form, given how intimidating he looked. If Levi were a lesser man, he’d probably not have done it at all. 

Levi got down on his level, resting an arm on his knee. Piercing steel-blue eyes met molten-gold. Each glaring with their own ferocity. “Ground rules. We’re establishing them now,” the witch starts, his eyes flitting around as they searched Eren’s for cognizance. Upon finding what he was looking for, he continued, “The growling dominance shit _stops_ here and **now**. If I so much as hear it _once_ , I’ll drop you, ass over end and I will use everything I have at my disposal to incapacitate you.”

Eren’s wolf gave a derisive snort and averted his gaze, only to be startled as Levi clapped a hand onto his furry head.

“Trust me, brat,” Levi enjoined, staring him down. The energy around them shifted and he knew the wolf could sense it. “I can get pretty creative. Don’t push your luck.” 

Levi received a low whine in response and took that as affirmation. Giving him a nod, he ruffles the fur on Eren’s head and stands up heading to the kitchen. Eren’s tail swishes in a pensive wag across the hardwood floor. The wolf stands again, taking cautious steps after the man. Finally, he pokes his head through the threshold and sits, observing the witch. 

Levi works his way around the kitchen, keeping tabs on the wolf behind him. He hated going all ‘alpha male’ on the kid, but it was the only way to snap him out of it. He was actually fairly surprised that he didn’t have to use more force. Eren genuinely seemed to have a substantial amount of awareness for such a young wolf. Levi was impressed, as well as amused. Every now and again he’d take small glances at the wolf, who seemed to be doing the same, but when he was caught he’d quickly look away as if Levi hadn’t seen him. Maybe he was embarrassed about his previous behavior?

“You know, you don’t have to stand in a corner like you’re in timeout. You can come in here,” Levi addresses him from his position in front of the stove. He was busy combining some herbs and pink himalayan salt together in a large cast iron pot. It was very aromatic and calming and he was going for that very effect. As Eren crept closer, he’d say he was successful. 

The raven-haired man turns and leans his back against the kitchen countertop. Eren was sitting in the center of the kitchen floor now, looking every bit like a giant curious puppy. The wolf cocks his head to the side as if in askance. _‘...and damn if that wasn’t adorable,’_ Levi would take that train of thought to his grave. 

“It’s a concoction of mine. It can be used for many things. Mainly for cleansing an area of negativity. Its aroma has a very calming effect. I could either boil it ‘til the water evaporates, letting the steam cleanse the area, or I could let it simmer ‘til the oils boil out of the herbs and bottle it for later use once it cools,” he explains. 

Apparently, that was all the explanation Eren needed if his tail wag was any indication. The wolf stands again and treks over to the stove, springing onto his hind legs to balance himself precariously over the mixture, surprising Levi. He takes a curious whiff of the mixture up close.

 _‘Shit, he’s tall,’_ the raven thinks to himself. Eren was around his normal height when standing on his hind legs. It was amazing how proportionate his wolf form was in comparison. “Hey now, c’mon get down from there,” the witch shoo’s him, turning off the stove. “you nearly burned down the forest last time we met like this, I don’t need a potential house fire, too.”

Eren whines and he gets down, giving Levi his best attempt at puppy dog eyes. _‘The sad part was, the wolf made a pretty compelling case.’_ Levi was so fucked. He would also take this train of thought to his grave. Who'd have thought he'd be an animal person? “Enough of that, you know I’m right. In fact, I’m actually glad I don’t own a cat, or this would have been a shit show from the jump.”

At the mention of a cat, Eren’s eyes took on an eerily feral gleam. “Oh no you don’t, Jaeger, you sit the fuck down and stay there. Don’t get any bright ideas. You are staying in this apartment tonight.”

The wolf's whine was downright pitiful, but that did remind him. “Hang on. I know what’ll get your spirits up.”

Levi rummaged through his fridge and Eren became very excited, trying to stay put and be patient, but his tail wagged enthusiastically like a common house pet. “Tch… and you were worried about hurting me. Look at you, ya big pup. I told you you were in good hands,” the raven teases him as he takes a plate of raw prime cut rib out of the fridge. Eren’s excitement intensifies and Levi almost laughs. _Almost._ Close, but no cigar.

Levi was then struck with a dilemma. 

While it was silly to set the plate at the table like a well-mannered person would, would it be more or less offensive to set it on the floor? He should probably ask, but the question seemed stupid even to him. Eren was his friend, not a pet. He had intelligence, he wasn’t some brainless animal, but this did bring up some pressing questions.

“...Um?” He supplied lamely, gesturing between the plate and the table. And Eren; that little shithead, he was no help at all as he had the audacity to roll his eyes and huff at him. “It’s a valid question, okay? Sue me.”

Eren huffed again and laid down, gesturing to the floor with his muzzle. 

Taking the hint, Levi set the plate down and watched as the wolf went to town on the plate of raw meat. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t morbidly fascinated. He made a mental note to remind himself to never cross a werewolf he didn’t know, because Eren tore through that meat with no effort at all. Like razors cutting through butter. He was actually pretty surprised Eren himself didn’t outright get mauled when he himself got bit. He must have been an impressive hunter to have walked away from a pure wolfborn with just a scar on his right hand to show for it. 

Eren had basically licked the entire plate clean by the time he was done. He surprised Levi yet again by taking the plate into his maw, lifting it with no effort at all. He walked over to the sink, jumping up against the counter as he did with the stove a deposited the plate into the basin as gently as a giant ass wolf could. Levi was so dumbstruck by the sight that he actually did burst out into laughter this time. 

Eren, never having seen a reaction like this before, rushed over in what was an apparent concern. As Levi looked down at his obviously troubled friend he laughed even more. With a whine, Eren nosed at his thigh. “S-sorry. That was… just so _damn_ ridiculous. Like… watching a pig wipe its face with a napkin after eating slop or some shit.” He wipes the corner of his eye and smiles down at the wolf. “Just when I think I’ve seen it all, you’re right there waiting to prove me wrong.”

Eren’s only response was to nose at Levi’s stomach, leaving a cold moist spot against his shirt. Levi groaned, he would have to deep clean everything in the morning. 

“How was the meat?” The witch queries, a small amused smile still present.

He receives an animated bark, and he could swear the wolf was smiling and that was the single most adorable thing of the night. He was going to run out of space in his coffin with how many thoughts he was going to be dragging with him. He was so screwed. 

Seeing as the ice had been broken and Eren’s hunger was appropriately satiated, the pair made their way to the living room. Having snuffed his bigger candles, Levi curled up on the couch with a book, leaving the smaller ones to burn out on their own. He paused as Eren attempted to join him. “Un-uh. Nope. I can already tell you shed like the dickens. It’s the floor for you, brat.” To make it a little more fair, he did offer a throw blanket as consolation and Eren conceded begrudgingly. 

Situating himself on the floor next to Levi, he watched as the older man read. The night was calm and steady. It was strange really, after the initial fogginess had cleared up during the shift, he began to think clearly. And while he was being driven impulsively by whatever whimsy his wolf felt at the moment, his mind had never been more clear. Usually, during a shift, he was driven by instinct. The urge to run, or hunt, or howl, was ever present. 

This time, however, was different. He never remembered much, the experience of the shift was usually best explained as viewing the world from underwater. His vision was always blurred, speech was muffled, but his sense of smell went haywire. He could count on one hand the amount of times he could remember something specific from a full moon night. However, ironically, anything that had to do with Levi always kind of stuck, in some way or another. 

Now that he thought about it, thinking really hard back to that first night, he'd been absolutely enraptured. He'd spent so much time hunting creatures of the night he never stopped to think of how majestic they could be, too. And although he didn’t leave the best first impression on the raven-haired witch, he couldn’t help but follow his nose. All he could think of that next morning was about how much he really wanted some tea. All despite never having cared for it before. It was like an instinctive craving that he gave into and followed it all the way to The Pot and Kettle. At the time he didn't realize it. He’d just assumed that he had a strange hankering for something other than black swill. He never realized he was tracking the witch's scent.

Tonight was even stranger. He’d never had this kind of mental clarity before. It was always as if someone else was in the driver's seat whenever he shifted and he was a slave to whatever they wanted. It was terrifying, like being trapped in his own body and waking up covered in what he’d hoped was some random animals blood, never helped. 

But tonight he was at peace. Like the parts of him that were both man and beast were symmetrical. He had no doubt that what grounded the two had to be Levi. It was the only thing he could think of as to why his consciousness wasn’t entirely clouded. For the first time since he’d been bitten, he never felt more at home in his own skin, or fur. He raised his head and rested it next to Levi’s arm, watching as the older man turned a page in his book, it looked old and well worn. He closed his eyes, contentment setting in as Levi took his opposite hand and began carding his fingers through his fur absently. Eren sighed peacefully through his nose. 

This was so nice. It was nice to feel the pull of the moon, like the ebbing of the tides, and not have to worry about being exposed. To not have to worry about other creatures of the night or hunters alike, stalking him. It was nice to relax for the first time ever in this form. Maybe this was what Levi had meant about accepting his bond with the goddess? Maybe he just needed a night like this one to show him that this curse wasn't so terrible after all. 

He was so worried about what could go wrong, that he hadn’t stopped to think about how it could go right. He never once considered that this could be an outcome. He wasn’t disillusioned enough to believe that he _wasn’t_ a legitimate danger to his friend lying exposed on the couch, but what wasn’t a danger these days? A gun was still a gun even if it wasn’t in someone’s hands. When it wasn't being operated it was still dangerous, yes, but essentially it meant no harm. And just because it was loaded didn’t necessarily mean it wanted to be shot. Shit happens. But at this moment in time, they were safe. 

Hunters, and creatures of the night be damned. He’d take them all on if he could buy a little more time to stay in this moment and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it. He might have been a legitimate threat, but tonight just proved that that wasn't all that he was. 

It must have been about an hour before Eren stirred again, he hadn’t realized he’d drifted off and he found himself shifting to get comfortable. He could hear steady rhythmic breathing coming from the couch and peered up to see that Levi had also fallen asleep. Looking at the clock he could see that it was well past 1 am. Standing up and stretching, listening to some of his joints pop, he carefully removed the book from Levi’s chest.

He really hoped the raven remembered his spot because there was no hope for the wolf to save the page for him. Shifting forms wasn’t an exact science when one didn’t have opposable thumbs. He nudged the book onto a side table and let it be. 

Taking the throw into his maw, he flung it up and onto the couch, adjusting it as best as he could over the other man’s sleeping form, trying his best not to wake him. Still tired and with nothing else to do, Eren gave in to his whims. Shedding be damned, he climbed up onto the other end of the couch, curling into Levi’s legs, atop the blanket. He’d probably get bitched at in the morning, but as he curled up against his friend and began to drift, he couldn’t be bothered to care. 

The last thing he thought before joining his friend in slumber, was that he really hoped he’d remember this come sunrise.


	4. Of Repercussions (Part One)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re Shiganshina’s finest and brightest. An aspiring young hunter, **Humanities last Hope** , Eren Jaeger,” the wolfborn spat mockingly.
> 
> “Someone’s done their homework,” Eren replies curtly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part One of Eren's backstory.

_It was a cold night and dense rain poured from the sky above. If the order hadn’t come, he wouldn’t have even been out here. It was too dangerous to hunt during a storm, but he was a Jaeger, and with that came with a certain level of responsibility. This monster had to be stopped,_ tonight. _Before it killed again. The fight for humanity was too great a cause to be ignored._

_He and a team of two others; Reiner Braun and Bertholdt Hoover, were scouting the area on horseback. Marley was a small, but powerful town outside of the Maria territory, and while Eren hailed from Shiganshina, his orders came from the Council there._

_Their mission was to track down and kill a Were’ that had snuck past the Garrison and killed 6 women. Knowing that this kind of thing held a personal significance to them, the Council of Marley sought out the Jaeger’s, personally. They were a clan of well-known hunters, dating back hundreds of years. It was often said that the term ‘Hunter’ rather than, ‘Slayer’, was derived from their family name. Knowing well that the young hunter had a personal vendetta against the wolves; regarding the untimely murder of his mother, they were adamant that Eren would be the one to do this job._

_They weren’t wrong. Eren absolutely detested the mutts and swore to eradicate every single one. Even still, that didn’t make this any easier, the forces of nature were definitely against them. On nights like this, curseborn wolves would be in hiding, as they derived their strength from the moon alone, the cloud cover would heavily impede their shift. The monster they sought tonight, however, was definitely a purebred. A wolfborn._

_Only a wolfborn could pull off a slaughter of this scale on its own while going completely undetected. They were much like Skinwalkers, in that they could shift from their wolf form to their human form at will. Although they too, felt the pull of the full moon, they weren’t a slave to it like curseborn’s. They could control their shifting abilities at any given time, making them far more dangerous._

_Not that curseborn’s were a walk in the park either, but they were generally a lot easier to predict._

_Because the moon had such a strong pull on them, curseborn’s; although erratic, ill-tempered, and dangerous, generally had a one track mind. They oftentimes had no human intellect during a full moon shift. Whereas, their sires, the wolfborn’s, did have intellect, as well as a highly advanced animal instinct. Wolfborn’s were much more dangerous, because they could think like humans and had the means to overpower them._

_The plan was to ride through the storm on horseback. The intel had stated that the wolfborn fled into the forest of giant trees. Eren, Reiner, and Bertholdt would ride together in formation and then fan out in search of the wolf. Once found, they would communicate their position through flares and they would all close in as backup._

_They were close now, nearing the treeline, Eren flanked to the right and broke off, with Bertholdt taking the left, leaving Reiner to take the middle position into the trees._

_Eren urged his horse to slow to a trot and kept his eyes peeled._

_Along with general hand to hand combat training, hunters were also trained in tracking, by the Blouse. A clan of highly experienced trackers and trappers, that dated just as far back as the Jaeger clan, themselves. Eren was especially well versed in this. Growing up, he and Sasha Blouse would make a game out of tracking, to see who could outwit who and it served them both well when they became hunters._

_The rain had stopped, but the moisture in the air was becoming more and more dense as time went on, obscuring Eren’s vision. Between that and the cloud cover, Eren was not liking his odds. At this rate, the creature would escape. Being as stubborn as he was, he wasn’t about to turn back now. Not when a murderer was on the loose._

_Eren encouraged his horse to trot along at a sedate pace, while the young hunter took care to observe as much of his surroundings as he possibly could. He strained his ears in search of anything that could provide a clue as to the wolf’s whereabouts. It was as silent as death out here, the only sounds being the click of his horse’s hooves and it’s occasional huffs._

_Seeing as he hadn’t heard or seen a signal flare from the others in about 40 minutes, he wagered that they were having the same shit luck. About 10 minutes later was when he’d found something. Odd tracks. They seemed to lead deeper into the forest. Eren directed his horse accordingly and followed them, catching sight of the occasional bend or disruption in the foliage below._

_He followed the tracks for several minutes until he reached a dead end. Looking around himself, he was perplexed._ ‘Where the hell did it go? Surely it couldn’t have vanished?’ _He thought to himself. It was so odd. Looking up toward the treetops, he froze, halting his horse, having caught sight of something especially strange._

_Claw marks._

_His blood froze in his veins._

_Claw marks all across the trees, at varying heights. As if the beast had climbed up and jumped from tree to tree like a goddamned ape. “What… in the actual fuck?” Eren murmurs to himself. Looking all around, he saw marks on the trees, as far forward and backward as he could see in this position. It was sporadic and made little sense. Sure, he could expect something this weird from a rampaging curseborn wolf, but a wolfborn?_

_It was then that he’d heard it._

_Pained groaning._

‘That definitely couldn’t be good,’ _Eren thinks to himself._

_Urging his horse forward, he follows the sounds to a small clearing. Along the way, the sporadic claw markings seemed to follow. There, up ahead, against a tree, rested a wounded man. He had claw marks running from his left shoulder to his abdomen. His white button-up shirt was in tatters and splattered in glaring rouge. This was looking more and more like a trap each moment. The man’s breathing was labored, but he was conscious. Eren approached with caution. The man’s head rose from his chest and he looked at Eren in obvious fright. “W-Who are you?!” The man calls out harshly, wrapping his arms around his middle in a protective manner._

_“Relax, I’m a friend,” Eren responds raising a hand in a placating manner._

_“Y-you ...you s-shouldn’t be here! He’ll… h-he’ll come back!” The man whispered harshly. “T-this is a trap!”_

_Eren nods to the man, taking in their surroundings. This indeed was a trap, it couldn’t be any more obvious. The man was clearly left here as bait. “It’s fine, you’re safe now,” Eren replies. “I have friends in this forest, I’ll round them up and we will get you to someplace safe.”_

_“N-no! No! Y-you don’t underst-stand… there is a MONSTER out here,” The man replies urgently._

_Eren took that as his incentive to dismount from his horse. Removing his sodden cloak, he approaches the man. “Relax, see?” Eren gestures to himself. The man takes notice of the various straps the young man had all along his body, each holster contained at least one type of weapon or another. The more obviously pronounced ones being a solid silver stake and a long silver blade. “I am a hunter, sent here on orders from Marley. We are here to neutralize the threat.”_

_“R-really?” The man asks softly, as if in relief._

_“Yes,” Eren affirms, crouching before the man, taking stock of his injuries. They truly looked violent. “Now, I have a few questions to ask you, and you must answer all of them, as they will determine whether you make it out of this forest. Understand?”_

_“Yes, I...I understand,” the blond man rasps._

_“Very good,” Eren replies, setting to work on treating the man’s wounds, “Now, what is your name?”_

_“Z-Zeke,” the man replies, still obviously tense, every little sound the forest echoed had the man trembling._

_“Alright, Zeke, I’m Eren. Where are you from?”_

_“M-Marley. I’m from Marley.”_

_“Good, you’re doing great. Are you experiencing any kind of burning pains?”_

_“N-no, not really. The beast though, he ripped me a new one,” the man tried to kid._

_“You’re sure you haven’t been bitten?” Eren asks with a measure of concern._

_“Goodness no! I don’t think I’d even be alive if he had, it’s teeth were enormous.”_

_“I see,” Eren replies. After having dressed his wounds, he lays what was left of his cloak against the injured man. It was as wet as they both were, but he held out hope that it would keep in just enough warmth to keep the man from going into shock. “Well, that’s as much as I can do for your wounds out here in the field, but my father is the lead doctor, back in Shiganshina. Once we capture and kill this beast, we’ll be on our way there, where we’ll provide you with more medical attention.”_

_“Yes, o-of course, thank you, Eren,” Zeke replies._

_“It’s no trouble at all,” the brunette replies, “do you think you can ride a horse?”_

_“Well…” Zeke starts, with a wheeze, “we can certainly give it a try.”_

_Eren nods and helps the larger man to his feet. Taking most of the man’s weight, Eren helps him over to the horse. Something about this entire situation rang as odd to him. The forest was still silent. As if all of its animal inhabitants fled, not even a cricket stirred. “Say, Zeke?”_

_“Yes?” The man grunted as he hooked his foot onto one of the saddle's stirrups._

_“About how long ago, would you say that the werewolf dropped you here?”_

_“Um… I’d say about 30 minutes, but I figure that wouldn’t be a completely accurate estimation. I know I had fallen in and out of consciousness.”_

_Eren had also considered that._ 'Though, if the man were sitting there bleeding out for 30 plus minutes, you’d think he’d be far more worse for wear. He’d be a lot more pale from blood loss and there would be obvious signs of coagulation along the skin surrounding the wounds. However, that too wouldn’t be completely reliable with the earlier downpour.'

_Still. He couldn’t help but wonder. Why would the beast set an obvious trap and not utilize it?_

_Just where exactly was this wolf?_

_“It’s odd though, isn’t it Eren?” Zeke asks, finally settled on the hunter’s horse._

_“What is?” Eren asks, mounting the horse as well. Taking the reigns, he urges the animal to trot._

_“Well… why would the beast need me alive? ...I was obviously bait, wasn’t I? Why wouldn’t the wolf take advantage of the situation?” Zeke replies, mirroring Eren's own confusion._

_“I was actually wondering that myself,” the hunter hesitantly replies. His pulse quickening, ever so slightly. “It’s tracks were odd enough, but to lay an obvious trap and not use it? It makes you wonder.”_

_“Wonder?” The man behind him parrots._

_“Makes you wonder what its real goal is. This thing is smart. Smart enough to sneak past an army of Garrison soldiers and kill six people.”_

_The man tenses behind him. “Six you say?”_

_“Yeah, and… it had at least a 30-minute head start on us. Not to mention the time we’ve spent combing these woods, why would it take a hostage?”_

_“W-well, I wasn’t in Marley tonight. I was actually already out here .”_

_“Is that so?” Eren replies trying to conceal his suspicion._

_“Yes, there actually used to be a tourist attraction out here. These trees are what you would consider a monument. I was actually out here on business, trying to reopen the attraction,” the blond man explains._

_“I see,” Eren replies, reasoning it out in his mind. It seemed like a solid explanation._

_“I was in a cabin, not far from here, toward the middle entrance of the forest, when out of nowhere the beast came barreling inside as if the devil were on its heels. Before I could blink, it made off with me, tossing me around like a rag doll, before finally slashing me across the chest. Before it left, it marked up the trees around me in a frenzy and disappeared completely from view. I was too scared and too injured to try and move, I was afraid that if I did… well.”_

_“Say no more. I understand completely. Anyone in your situation would be scared, too,” the hunter admits. Everything so far checked out. Zeke’s reason for being here, his wounds, how the weather would affect those details. So, why? Why was Eren so hesitant to believe an obviously credible victim?_

_Maybe it was this entire situation._

_Why would the wolfborn kidnap a man, set tracks to follow, set a trap, and then abandon it? Why go to all that trouble? What was the motive here? Hadn’t the beast already gotten what it wanted? Hadn’t it already claimed enough lives for one night?_

_“At any rate,” Eren continues, “I should warn my friends, if the wolf is still lurking in these woods, they are in great danger.”_

_“That’s right, you came with others, didn’t you?” Zeke queries._

_“Yeah, we never hunt a wolfborn alone, especially on a night like this.”_

_“Yes, of course, that does make sense. How would you go about it? Warning your friends, I mean.” It wasn’t an entirely odd question, if Zeke were truly a civilian._

_“Oh,” Eren replies, reaching down into a pocket of the saddle, “that’s easy, we signal each other with flares.”_

_Just as the hunter was about to reach up and fire one off, he was stopped abruptly as a hand grabbed his arm from behind._

_“Eren,” Zeke hisses, “Wait!”_

_“Wait?...what- why?” The hunter objects._

_“Think about it. What if firing off that flare draws the wolf here? Or worse, to your friends?”_

_“Don’t be ridiculous, if anything, having backup would be a help, not a hindrance. And if the wolf was really that concerned about attacking us, don’t you think he would have already?” Eren counters._

_“Yes, I admit that is reasonable, but you said it yourself, not only did this creature sneak past an army and kill 6 women, but he also managed to evade you and your friends, what if they are already dead?” Zeke implores, but little did he know, the hunter in front of him already had his answer._

_The shift was so subtle, and it happened so quickly, Zeke barely had time to react before a silver blade whipped around as fast as a lightning strike and nicked his throat. If not for the man’s reaction time, he’d be dead. Landing in a heap on the forest floor, Zeke rolled to a crouch. His glasses glinted in the moonlight that peeked through the cloud cover, bathing him in an ominous glow. Eren dismounted and approached him, blade in hand._

_“What gave me away?” Zeke queries, as though comically curious._

_“The 6 victims, I never mentioned that they were women,” Eren all but growls. “Although if I’m being honest, I’ve suspected something was up from the get-go. Call it instinct, that's something you can comprehend, can’t you?”_

_“I’m honestly not surprised,” Zeke replies with a hint of mirth. “You’re Shiganshina’s finest and brightest. An aspiring young hunter,_ **Humanities last Hope** , _Eren Jaeger,” the wolfborn spat mockingly._

_“Someone’s done their homework,” Eren replies curtly._

_“Call it a hobby. I’m curious by nature, you know,” Zeke replies, standing tall, he was no longer the meek injured man he appeared to be moments before and through the shreds of his shirt, Eren could tell that his wounds were steaming as they healed. He’d been a fool not to notice and the fog did little to help._

_“Why go to all this trouble? The murders, the tracks, the useless trap and the tragic backstory? It seems a little overkill to me,” Eren demands._

_“Surely you had to have figured it out by now, my dear young hunter,” Zeke mocks. “I wanted to play a game.” The wolfborn’s eyes glint red before he smiles innocently._

_“A game?” Eren was going to be sick. What kind of twisted fuck did any of this for fun?_

_“Yes,” the wolf concludes, “a game that only you and I could play. A game of truth and lies.”_

_“So, you’re telling me, that you did all of this, just to lure me here?” Eren asks out of morbid curiosity._

_“Precisely,” Zeke admits._

_This struck a cord in the hunter._

_“You know, most people usually send a ‘poke’ or a friend request on Facebook these days. Age of technology and all, not many kill 6 fucking people to get someone's attention,” the hunter sasses haughtily._

_“We both know we’re not most people,” Zeke responds._

_“Fair point, I’ve got to admit, you really had me going for a minute there. Nice touch, with the self-mutilation and all,” the hunter retorts._

_“Thank you, Eren,” Zeke covers his heart with a hand in faux gratitude. “you don’t know how much that means to me.”_

_“You, sir, are a sociopath,” the younger man quips._

_“Takes one to know one,” Zeke snarks back._

_The air between them is charged. Both men sizing one another up. Eren’s hand tightens around his blade, the other around the flare._

_“I’m done talking,” Eren barks, hastily shooting a red flare high into the treetops, the resounding bang, he was sure could be heard for miles._

_Instantly, the two were on each other. Zeke taking a form somewhere between human and wolf._

_The larger man was a force to behold. Even recovering from injuries, his strength and speed were unparalleled. Hand to hand combat was not something Eren wanted to engage the wolf in, but it was looking like he would have no choice. The wolf just wouldn’t let up his barrage of attacks._

_Eren goes on the defensive, blocking jarring claw attacks with his silver blade. The wolfborn didn’t seem to be phased at all by the fact that he was brutalizing his own hands. Fighting dirty, the wolf lashes out, slinging spurts of steaming blood into Eren’s eyes and kicking him hard in the abdomen._

_His blade clatters to the forest floor and he barely manages to roll out of a would-be tackle. At this point his horse is so startled it takes off, running westward. Eren springs to his feet and Zeke was yet again, in his face. The man was swinging in ways Eren knew and was intimately familiar with. This creature somehow knew his fighting style. The Jaeger clan prided themselves for over a hundred years on their hand to hand combat skills and somehow, in some inexplicable way, the werewolf was matching him, blow for blow._

_If this kept up much longer, Eren knew he would run out of stamina. There was only one thing that could help him now and that was slight of hand. A series of moves taught to him by a sparring partner. As Zeke threw his next blow, Eren ducked, feinting right with a punch and striking from the left with a powerful kick, he manages to hook his leg through the larger man’s and flips him hard to the forest floor. Zeke, however, was quick to recover, taking Eren to the floor with him. Both men were panting now, locked in a grappling match._

_Whenever Zeke tried to throw his weight around, Eren would counter his movements with his own. The young hunter really wished something would give, he’d never be able to reach his weapons like this. He could only hope that he’d be able to pin the wolf long enough until his backup arrived. Zeke had other plans._

_“Aren’t you the least bit curious as to why I have such an interest in you?” Zeke breathed out harshly._

_“Whatever fucked up reasons you may have won’t matter when I have your head on a pike, you rat bastard,” Eren gritted out, tightening his hold on the wolf._

_“You’re wrong,” Zeke growls, it reverberates through Eren’s chest. “Even if I were to die tonight, the truth has a way of revealing itself.”_

_“What the fuck are you talking about? What truth?” Eren demands in frustration._

_“The truth of our heritage, brother,” the wolf insists.“The god-awful truth of what really lies in the Jaeger clans sordid past.”_

_That sent Eren reeling. “Wha-”_

_Zeke pins Eren by the throat, just hard enough to keep him still, but loose enough to allow him some air. “ASK GRISHA,” Zeke shouts, “Better yet, bring it up casually. His silence, his denial alone will be enough.”_

_Eren squirms beneath him, trying to get his legs free enough to grab a weapon, any weapon._

_“Ask him, Eren, about his firstborn. His wolfborn child,” the wolf hisses from over him._

_Eren’s vision begins to whiteout and becomes spotty as he fidgets. Finally finding purchase on something useful. Using what little strength he had left, he rears up with his legs, freeing his trapped arm and slamming a sachet of ground wolfsbane into Zeke’s face._

_Reeling back in surprise, Zeke lets loose a guttural angry howl, that pierces through the darkened forest. Trying to catch his breath, Eren scrambles to get up. He could hear the faint sound of hooves in the distance._

_Apparently, Zeke could too, Eren's only warning had been eyes flashing an angry red and the sounds of snapping, of bones rearranging, resounding around them. A massive white wolf is stood in Zeke’s place, stalking toward him sedately. His eyes as red as the blood he was out for._ ‘Actually…’ _Eren hears, but not through his ears. His surprise roots him to the spot. His blood running cold._ ‘Maybe it’s better this way, dear brother. The only way to free you from this _brainwashed_ state,’ _Zeke’s voice carries through his mind ominously,_ ‘ the only way to reveal the truth...’ 

_Zeke’s wolfborn form looms darkly overhead as he iterates_ ‘...is to free you, from humanity.’

_The wolf lunges._

_As Eren reaches out to block the attack with his silver stake, Zeke’s powerful jaws clamp down onto Eren’s right hand, fangs piercing his skin with little effort. Eren cries out, the pain of the venomous bite taking hold, knowing there was no other way to release himself, the hunter pushes forward through the pain, thrusting his hand and the stake deep into Zeke’s maw._

_The wolf cries out, letting the hunter go._

_It was at this point that Reiner arrived, pulling Eren’s horse in tow. Upon seeing the wolf, he fires his crossbow, hitting the creature in the chest. Eren falls to his knees, seemingly completely immobilized. The wolfborn rears back, with a whine. Reiner reloads and shoots him again. Fueled by rage, Zeke charges the other hunter with an animalistic growl, ramming himself into the horse and sending Reiner flying. Before the hunter even connected with the forest floor, the wolfborn was gone. Darting off into the dark._

_“EREN!” Reiner calls, scrambling to his feet. They could both hear Bertholdt’s horse in the distance. Reiner races over to the other hunter, who seemed to be in shock. He was covered from head to foot in mud, debris, blood, and lacerations. Dropping to his knees in front of him, Reiner steadies Eren by taking hold of his shoulders. Eren blinks at him wordlessly, seeing, but unseeing._

_“ ‘Ren...Eren, hey…” Reiner tries, “hey, are you alright? How bad is it?”_

_Eren blinks in awareness. He wanted to laugh. How bad was it? How bad?_

_A stranger, a werewolf, committed a series of murders, that was put onto the radar of the Council, all just to lure him into a trap, just to tell him…_

_Tell him what exactly? Tell him that his father was hiding a secret werewolf family? That he was being lied to? What the fuck did any of this mean?_

_Not to mention that he’d been…_

_No. No, he was definitely not alright._

_He couldn’t stomach the thought of it._

_“It...I’ll be alright. The wolfborn just caught me off guard is all,” it wasn’t a complete lie, but it was far from the truth._

_“Reiner! Eren! What happened?” Bertholdt called out. The man had both of their horses in tow._

_“We had a run in with the wolfborn. He got away. Eren’s hurt. I want you to get him home. I’m going to keep tracking that bastard,” Reiner replies as he helps pull Eren to his feet._

_Bertholdt didn’t seem to like that idea all that much and said as such, “It’s late, the odds were never in our favor. Maybe we could track him tomorrow, daylight will be on our side, there's not much out here for the wolf to run to. I doubt he’d even leave the Maria territory.”_

_Reiner looked like he wanted to protest, but Eren interjected._

_“He’s right, Rei… besides, the wolf bastard is injured and he’s been poisoned, I doubt he’d make it very far if he tried.”_

_Reiner gave him a tight smirk. “Got some good licks in yourself there, did ya?”_

_Eren feigned a smile. “Gave the mutt as good as I got.”_

_“I don’t doubt it,” Reiner replied, taking Eren’s weight. His feet were unsteady as he collected his weapons and his tattered cloak. He was careful to keep his marred hand hidden as they rode back to Shiganshina._

_It was daybreak by the time they reached the town and although the other two men insisted that he be seen at the clinic, Eren assured them that he’d rather be treated by his father at home. Seeing as it was a valid excuse and that they were all exhausted, both men agreed and went on their way. Eren sighed in relief when he got inside. His father actually wasn’t due back from Marley for a couple more days. That gave him time to plan. Time to think about all that happened. After being out on a late night mission, he didn’t expect that anyone should bother him for a least a few hours._

_As Eren walked through his childhood home, removing his gear as he went, he stopped in front of the fireplace. Pictures lined the mantle, all of him in various stages of growth. Some were with his mother, some with his father, some even had the three of them all together as one happy family. The pictures seemed to stop with him at age 15. The year his mother passed away._

_It was no secret that after Carla Jaeger’s death, Grisha had become closed off and extremely neglectful. Despite Eren being the one who witnessed the murder and the one who killed the wolf that did it, Grisha carried on, as if he were the one who was traumatized. Instead of putting Eren through counseling, or grieving with him, he’d sent him off to military school. As if that would solve his problems. When Eren wasn’t busy going to school, he was being trained in the ways of the hunters. Sure, he’d grown up not being a stranger to the paranormal. He was well versed in all things that went bump in the night, but it still pissed him off to no end that his father shoved him off onto others._

_At one point, before becoming a doctor and choosing a civilian lifestyle, Grisha had been a renowned and well-respected hunter. He was the prime example of the Jaeger clan, a symbol of their strength. If anyone should have been training Eren, it should have been him. Instead, he was shoved off onto their family friend Hannes, who worked for the Garrison._

_In those years, Hannes was more of a father to Eren than Grisha could ever be._

_On one hand, Eren could see it. He could see how his supposed father could lead a double life. But on the other, he desperately wanted to reject the idea. If only for the memory of his mother alone. His mother absolutely adored his father. The thought of him keeping this secret from her, the thought of him lying, or bedding a wolfblood, enraged Eren to no end. He hoped with all he had that this was a lie, but deep down, deep down he knew it had to be true._

_There would be no reason for a perfect stranger to lie. There was nothing to be gained from it. There was already a rift between him and his father. A 6-year long rift to be exact. If Zeke’s goal was to come between them, or get into his head, he was painfully late to the party. As much as Eren loathed to admit it, there was a truth hidden here. Under a mountain of lies. He wondered, how much would it take for the mountain to crumble and expose the truth?_

_Shaking his head of these depressing thoughts, he strips himself of everything on his way to the shower. Turning it on and stepping under the spray he watched as blood, dirt, and debris began to pool beneath his feet. His hand was throbbing and hot to the touch. He debated amputating it, but if he had to guess, he was already screwed. The venom had hours to take root, he was a dead man walking._

_Zeke had said, that in order for him to find the truth under all the lies, he would have to be stripped of his humanity. He wondered how much of that was due in part to resentment? If what the wolfborn said was true, and he was their father’s firstborn, he must have been rejected outright. And Zeke seemed to have known all about him. Meaning he was keeping tabs on them. Which suggested highly, that the wolfborn held a grudge._

_Which was ironic, really. They already had so much in common, seeing as he too held a grudge against that neglectful prick._

_He supposed, if all of this were true, he really couldn’t hold it against the wolfborn. He’d have been pissed too. Hell, he was already. Eren had lost not one, but both parents the day his mother died. He wondered how Grisha would react, knowing that not one, but both of his sons were werewolves. One a wolfborn and the other curseborn. This was some sick poetic justice bullshit._

_Eren made quick work of cleaning himself and by the time he’d gotten out of the shower, most of his lacerations were either completely healed, or just shy of. That was proof alone of his curse. The only injury that really stood out was the repulsive looking bite on his right hand. After drying off, he wrapped his hand tightly, having cleaned it thoroughly._

_After all of his pent-up adrenaline faded, Eren found himself becoming incredibly drowsy._

_He’d barely made it to his room before fainting as soon as his body hit the bed._


	5. Of Repercussions (Part Two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It never mattered who it was. It never mattered why or how. It never mattered if they had families. Once a person was bit, that was it. They were a liability, a danger, and a target.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part Two of Eren's Backstory.  
> (I'm sorry in advance)

_When Eren finally stirs again, it must have been dusk. Fading evening light trickled in through the cracks in his blinds, the brunette watched blankly as dust particles glittered and danced around the room. It reminded him of fairy dust from those stories his mother used to read to him. He couldn’t help but think that that would be nice. A place like Neverland, a place without responsibility, or raucous banging._

_Eren blinked hazily. The banging. That must have been what woke him from such a deep sleep._

_He groaned as he got out of bed. Only now realizing he was slick with sweat. Putting a hand to his forehead he curses under his breath, taking wobbling steps down the hall and into the foyer. He peeks through the frosted glass window of the door and sees a smudge of familiar blond hair. He opens the door to Armin’s concerned expression._

_“Eren!” The blond exclaims._

_“Mmn...Armin, not so loud, please,” Eren moans in reply. Even with the fading sun, it was too bright and too loud out here._

_“Jesus, they weren’t wrong,” the blond stresses in a lower tone. He pretty much pushes past Eren, tugging him inside. Hands were on him instantly, pressed to his forehead, searching. “You’re burning up,” the blond assesses._

_“No shit,” he replied irritably. “I was trying to sleep it off,” Eren didn’t mean to be snippy, but everything was just so loud and he felt uncomfortably hot._

_“Yeah, well, Reiner and Bertholdt spilled the beans, they said that you were injured by a wolfborn. I can’t believe they bought your awful excuse. You should have gone to the clinic!” Armin retorts._

_“Yeah, well,”Eren defends lamely._

_“Yeah, well, nothing! Grisha isn’t due back from Marley for another 2 days. You could have died by then!”_

_“Dying from_ this _isn’t what I’m worried about…” Eren mutters. Armin doesn’t seem impressed._

_“Sit down,” the blond commands and Eren listens only to appease him. Armin was kind of scary when he wanted to be. He plops onto the couch in exhaustion. Armin seemed to be assessing him some more. He seemed confused. Eren didn’t really blame him. The damage had all been healed. All but one thing…_

_Armin helps himself to the kitchen and Eren can hear the tap running. He can hear rummaging next and the sound of pill bottles being opened. He heard more rummaging before Armin reappeared in front of him with a glass and his hand outstretched. “Acetaminophen for the fever, Ibuprofen for any inflammation.”_

_“You’re a saint,” Eren replies, taking the pills and popping them back, chasing them down with the proffered water._

_“Yeah, well, someone has to look after you,” Armin sighs._

_“Mika?” Eren queries._

_“Mn. Still on a mission,” the blond relays, playing with a fingernail._

_Eren nods a few times, before sighing and leaning his head back on the couch, closing his tired eyes._

_He can feel the other man’s gaze on him. And if he weren’t crazy, he’d also say he could hear his heartbeat, too. Eren’s eyes slit open heavily and he leers at the ceiling. He could hear everything. The ticking clock sounded like a gong, Armin’s voice, which was normally soft-spoken sounded louder. And his pulse. He could definitely hear that and though he was breathing softly, it sounded like ocean tides. Everything was loud and he couldn’t stand it._

_Feeling anxious, Eren shifts in his seat. Armin was in the chair opposite of him, staring at the floor, deep in thought. “They said you were covered in lacerations. That you looked like a walking bruise.”_

_“It definitely feels like that, yes,” Eren admits._

_Armin was literally the worst person who could have sought him out first. He was smart. Stupidly smart and he was always spot on in his thought process. Eyes were on him again, but not his face. Armin's gaze was directed at his gauze covered hand. Feeling the pinpricks of panic, Eren pulls his hand close to himself instinctively._

_“I want to know what happened out there,” Armin states lowly, “tell me everything.”_

_And by everything, he meant_ everything. _Armin was like a bloodhound. He was a natural sleuth. Nothing got past the guy. It was like he was a human lie detector. He would know there were holes in his story. Eren was backed into a corner on this one. There was no point in making something up on the fly. So, with great reluctance, he spoke the truth, in vivid detail._

_Armin was silent for a long time after he was done._

_Eren fidgeted in his seat. He and Armin were in diapers together, they were as close as brothers and got into a whole heap of messes growing up. A lot of which he was sure gave his mother and Armin’s grandfather most of their grey hairs. Wherever one went, the other was sure to follow and when Mikasa moved to town and began living with them, he was sure everyone breathed a sigh of relief, certainly, she would keep them in line. Little did they know._

_All of them weren’t just_ like _family, they_ were _family and for the first time ever, Armin’s silence terrified him._

_It never mattered who it was. It never mattered why or how. It never mattered if they had families. Once a person was bit, that was it. They were a liability, a danger, and a target. Zeke must have known. He must have wanted Eren to feel how it felt to be rejected. And while he was so focused on his father, he didn’t even consider that Armin or Mikasa, or any of his friends would put a bullet in him. How could he? They were family._

_Armin holds out a hand. Eren can’t help but flinch, knowing what the blond wanted. Armin’s eyes blaze and he gestures with his hand again. Every instinct he had told Eren that he should bolt. That he should run away. But, there was no point anymore. He had to accept his fate. He was a monster now and soon he’d be a dead one. But truer still, he was no coward._

_He holds out his bandaged hand and Armin takes it, being oddly gentle, he tugs on the gauze and rolls it back equally so. Once his hand was fully exposed, a soft pained gasp escapes his friend._

_Eren was actually surprised himself, at the sight._

_Last night, it had been a gaping, meaty, bloody-looking mess. The bloodied gauze definitely indicated just that, but now what remained was; gnarly, red, puckered scar tissue. It looked like he’d gotten the wound a month ago. It was also very apparent that this was a bite mark. There was no denying it._

_Hesitantly, Armin runs the fingers of his opposite hand along the ridges of Eren’s more pronounced keloids. He swallows hard, looking up at Eren and studying his face. The fear in his eyes was plain as day and Armin grimaces upon seeing it._

_Armin never liked to see Eren hurting. In fact, after his mother was killed and his father sent him off to Marley’s military school, Armin was the first to beg to be enrolled with him. He and Mikasa both insisted upon it. He vowed that day, to never let Eren bear his burdens alone. There were many late nights in which night terrors ravaged him and Armin shouldered the brunette through each one. Eren was always so strong. He always shouldered the heavy burdens so no one else had to. But he was only human. Seeing him so obviously scared, but toughing through it broke something in the blond._

_Armin laces their fingers together and grips Eren’s hand firmly, surprising him. There was a choice here and the obvious one had been made. Eren was not going to shoulder this alone. He wouldn’t let his friend lose hope._

_“...Armin?” Eren hesitates. His entire posture is stiff._

_His adam’s apple bobs lightly before he speaks softly, “We’re keeping this quiet. For as long as we possibly can. It will be difficult, but It’s almost winter, you can wear gloves.” Eren could tell the blond was running through about a thousand scenarios in his mind._

_“Armin,” Eren tries again._

_“If Reiner asks, I’ll tell him I checked you over and there was nothing to worry about…” Armin almost seems hysterical at this point, muttering to himself, “And we can prepare. You’re 20, no one would question if you moved out of here. We could room together. Find you a safe place, where you can’t hurt yourself or anybod-”_

_“ARMIN!” Eren shouts, snapping him out of it._

_The blond looks up at him and Eren can see obvious tears forming in his sky blue eyes._

_“...Armin,” he tries again, gently. “...It’s pointless. I can’t hide this forever. People will begin to notice.”_

_“No,” Armin objects firmly._

_“There is no way to keep this a secret. I am a hunter, Ar. Don’t you think someone will notice if I go missing once every month, like clockwork? And what about missions? What about if I shift? And hurt people? Wha- ...what if I hurt you… or Mika?”_

_“We’ll find a way,” Armin implores, he’s visibly trembling now and Eren’s anxiety skyrockets._

_“H-how can you say that?” The brunette asks through disbelief._

_Armin stills in his seat._

_“Armin… you and I_ both, _have put people down, people who begged. Pled. People with families. Because of a bite. Because it was the right thing to do to keep people safe. How am I any different?”_

 _“Because it’s,_ YOU, _Eren,” Armin shouts, tears cascading down his cheeks. “It’s you, dammit. Selfless, stupid, suicidal you, who helps people all the time without ever wanting anything in return. Because it’s you; who makes horse jokes about Jean, or gets your ass handed to you by Annie, because it’s you; who comforted Connie after his mother was turned into a curseborn and had to be put down, because it’s you; who drags Hannes home safely after a drunken binge, or who gave Mikasa your scarf to keep her from going into shock when her parents were found dead. B-because, it’s you... who would never hurt anyone intentionally, and because I don’t know what I would do without you._ I can’t, ‘Ren. _I can’t see you die. I-I_ won’t.”

_Eren didn’t know what to say; so overcome with emotion, tears roll down his own cheeks and he stifles a sob with his free hand. Armin gets to his feet and comes around the coffee table, taking Eren into his arms and giving him a tight squeeze. Tears roll down both of their faces and they tremble like leaves in a storm._

_He was wrong. He should never have doubted. But at the same time, he kind of wished Armin_ had _rejected him. It would have been safer. If Armin was caught harboring a curseborn, he would die as well, the Council would have no tolerance for such insubordination. Not to mention, Eren’s own morals were clearly at war here. He knew, that once the full moon night came, he wouldn’t be himself. He would become the very same breed of creature that he hated the most._

_The same kind of creature that he killed without a second thought._

_What was more important? His life, or the lives of everyone he loved?_

_Eren didn’t realize he’d asked this aloud until he felt Armin run an unsteady hand through his short hair in a soothing manner. “Don’t worry yourself about it,” he says. “We will figure this out together. We always work best as a team, don’t we?”_

_Eren sighs against him, nodding his head. “The best.”_

_“Exactly,” Armin encourages. “We’ll figure out a way to keep you and everyone safe. I promise, ‘Ren.”_

_Armin stayed the night with him, refusing to leave him alone. They put the couch cushions on the floor in the living room and made a nest of pillows and blankets. In a desperate attempt at normalcy, both boys grabbed a ton of junk food from the pantry and settled themselves in for a movie night. Anything to take their minds off of the situation._

_By 2 am, both of them were lying awake, facing one another, staring at Eren’s hand. It was morbidly fascinating to see how rapidly it healed. Just this evening it was an angry red mess of keloid scars, but now the redness had all but faded and the scars, though still prominent, were taking on a smooth pinkish-white sheen._

_“It’s weird,” Eren whispers, his voice raspy with drowsiness._

_“Yeah,” Armin agrees. “But, it’s also kinda cool.”_

_Eren locks eyes with him and he scowls. “What part of being a freak is_ cool _?”_

_“Um, the superhuman strength? The healing factor? The superior senses?” Armin replies as if it should be obvious._

_Eren yawns. Suddenly looking more tired than he has in years, Armin frowns._

_“You know?” Armin continues. “I’ve never heard of a hunter becoming a curseborn. Usually, they are put down before the venom sets in,” Eren grimaces; Armin, realizing his mistake, hurriedly continues, “But!... but, I’m just saying, there might actually be some strategic value here.”_

_Eren huffs. “Right,_ of course, _let the violent, rampaging, curseborn join the team, they’ll go for that. This isn’t_ ‘How to Train Your Dragon,’ _Armin. Curseborn’s aren’t like wolfborn’s. While it’s debatable whether wolfborn’s even have a conscience, we know for a_ fact _, curseborn’s do not.”_

_“How do you know?” Armin retorts._

_“Wha-” Eren is cut off by a pillow to the face. Peering over it, the brunette huffs, with a less than pleased glare._

_“Seriously, how do any of us know? We are taught from birth to hunt and kill creatures of the dark and that's all we’ve done. And it’s been all well and good, hurray for humanity and all, but if you think about it, we have never once thought to study them. All we know is from all that we have been taught through violence, never from actual studies.”_

_“So, what are you suggesting? Put me in a box and study my habits? Poke me with needles and nodes, find out what makes me tick?” Eren replies, still cross._

_“Well… maybe not that exactly,” Armin hesitates._

_“All I’m saying is that if I wind up being put in a glass box for people to study, there better be free wifi and Netflix, because there is no way that I’m missing out on the second season of_ Stranger Things.” __

_“Oh my god, you are such a turd,” Armin laughs._

_“No, I’m a shit, you_ can _say ‘shit,’ Armin,” Eren continues to tease. “Actually while we are on the subject of your potty mouth, I was so proud when you said ‘Dammit’ and ‘Ass’ earlier. Seriously, I think that’s why I cried.”_

_Eren laughs as Armin hits him with the pillow again. As the night crept on, both boys found themselves drifting off._

_Armin heads out early the next morning into town, wanting to pick up some groceries for his grandpa and to replace what he and Eren pigged out on the night before. That, and he really just wanted a distraction. Eren was still wracked with a fever and opted to sleep in. Armin couldn’t blame him in the least._

_Shopping around for about 30 minutes, Armin thought it was strange, Garrison soldiers usually kept to the outskirts of town, but the longer he walked around the bodega, the more soldiers he saw. Maybe there was another breach? If the wolfborn Eren spoke of last night was afoot, they had a serious problem._

_Grabbing what he needed, Armin hurried through the market. Everyone was whispering now and occasionally he got wind of Eren’s family name. Rumors were quickly spreading that the Council was on their way here._

_As Armin quickened his pace he was jerked by his arm abruptly, into an alley. His eyes widened as they took in the form of the soldier before him. Hannes shushed him with a finger to his lips. The man was clearly drunk, but he also seemed sober, which was an oxymoron._

_“Hannes?” Armin whispered?_

_“Is it true?” The older man slurred, his face was pinched in worry._

_Armin’s face grew white as a sheet and Hannes let loose a string of curses._

_“H-how?”_

_“Dunno. I got wind of it this mornin’. Rumor’s been spreadin’ like wildfire that Eren was bit. Got all the way back to the Council, s’why they’re comin’ 'ere.”_

_“Fuck!” Armin exclaims, his eyes blown wide._

_“Mind yer' mouth now, blondie,” the older man teases before his expression sobers. “Where is he?”_

_Armin was tense now and Hannes shook his hands in a placating manner. “Oh come on now, this is me, brat! Y'really think I want anything to happen to ‘im?”_

_“...no” Armin admits._

_“Good, alls I’m sayin’ is we gotta get ‘im outta here. Bigwigs, higher-ups, we’re talkin’ top shelf liquor here, boy. They are comin’ ‘ere. Gonna round ‘im up. Grisha ‘n Mika are on their way with ‘em.”_

_Armin pales further. “Mikasa? Really?!”_

_“S’what they’re sayin’. Apparently, the Council came to her specifically. They want her to do the job.”_

_“Shit…” Armin panics._

_“Y’kiss yer' mother with that mouth?”_

_“We have to warn him!” Armin’s eyes are wide as saucers as they search Hannes’._

_“What you think I’m 'ere for?” The soldier protests._

_Armin could hardly believe this. Not even a full day and everyone knew? The Council knew? How the hell could this happen? Armin pulls his phone from his pocket and calls Eren. It goes to voicemail so he tries the house phone. It rings. And rings. Until-_

_“Jaeger residence?” He sounds tired, probably having just woke up and is confused, because no ever calls the house phone._

_“Eren.”_

_“Armin?”_

_“Look, you need to listen to me very carefully,” Armin speaks lowly, both for Eren’s sake and so that he’s not overheard._

_“Shit… I don’t like the sound of this.” He mutters._

_Hannes snatches the phone from Armin, who sputters indignantly. “Oi Brat! This is yer' Pop.”_

_“Fuck me… Now, I_ really _don’t like the sound of this.”_

_“Oh hush now ‘n listen. Top Brass is comin’ ‘ere. From Marley. They’ve enlisted Mika’s help. Grisha’s comin’ too.”_

_“Give me that!” Armin hisses, grabbing the phone. “‘Ren? Okay. Look. He’s not wrong. I’ve seen soldiers all over the place. And not just the Garrison, but Hunters. I didn’t know what it was about until Hannes told me. The Council found out somehow. They are coming here to collect you and ordered Mikasa to bring you in. With Grisha there, I don’t think she has much of a choice.”_

_Armin could tell Eren was pacing. “You have to get out of there.”_

_“And where would I go? They won’t stop until they find me.”_

_Apparently, Hannes overheard this too, if his grim expression were anything to go by._

_“Look… I appreciate you guys going to the trouble, but we might have to face the fact that this is a lost cause. I was done from the moment Zeke bit me.”_

_“Zeke?!” Hannes snatched the phone again and this time Armin let him. “Okay, brat. Stay right where you are. We're comin’ to getcha.”_

_“Hannes,” Eren groaned._

_“I mean it boy, you stay put. I have some shit to say and yer' gonna live long enough to hear it, you got me?”_

_“Yes, sir.”_

_“Good boy,” the man answers. And Eren can hear “c’mon blondie we’ve got shit to do.” just before the drunkard hangs up._

_Eren was pacing when they arrived._

_Armin takes a seat on the couch and wrings his hands. Hannes claps Eren into a side hug before dropping onto the couch with the younger blond. They didn’t have much time. The soldiers here in Shiganshina were probably awaiting orders. The Council was on their way and it was a day's trip._

_Eren paced a few more times before stopping front of Hannes. “What do you know?”_

_“Hm?” Hannes vocalizes smartly._

_Eren snaps his fingers in front of Hannes’ face._

__Really? What time to be drunk and disorderly. _“Zeke, Hannes, you sounded like you knew about him.”_

_“That I do, but not much,” the soldier admits._

_“Is it true, is he really my brother?”_

_“Grisha had many things he kept private. Zeke was definitely one of ‘em,” he started._

_Armin sat up straighter, moving in closer. Eren perched himself on the coffee table and listened intently._

_“There is a legend, ‘bout you Jaeger’s and yer' origin. I never believed it, an’ I don’t think Grisha did either. Not until it happened. Y’see, when we was boys, younger ‘n you are now, Grisha was already a full-fledged hunter. While I was out chasin’ skirts, he had his nose in a book. Yer' grandpa, Mr. Jaeger, seemed to stuff all this hunter bullshit down his throat, but really, Grisha just wanted to live a civilian life.”_

_Eren and Armin watched him carefully, Hannes continued, “He’d met a nice girl from Marley, her name was Dina? I think, anyway. Whatever the broads name was, Grisha was quite taken with her. She’s was some Marley councilman's daughter. They married young. Before either of ‘em knew what love was. And she became pregnant. Little did yer' father know, the Jaeger’s had a past. Hundreds of years ago, the Jaeger’s themselves had been known to bed wolfborn’s. Whether this was willing or not, I’ll leave you to guess.” Eren and Armin both frowned at this._

_“The idea was to make hunters who could fight on par with monsters. This crossbreeding went on for a long time, ‘til it was eventually done away with. Even today it’s said that you lot carry wolfborn blood in yer' veins. Which is where Zeke comes in. This story had long since died out with generations and yer' grandpa, delightful prick he was, deigned not to mention this to Grisha. When lil' Zeke was born, Grisha had a ball. He went from being a thundering badass hunter, to being a ball of goo. He’d always wanted to be a dad, which is upsetting, how he’d done you.”_

_Eren worries a thread from his shirt between his fingers, his expression carefully schooled._

_Hannes, looking more sober by the minute, continues. “Anyway, time went by, an’ on Zeke’s 5th birthday, while playing with a bunch of other kids, managed his first shift. Now, he was by no means a bad kid, maybe a little shy and reserved, a thinker, like our Armin, ‘ere.” Hannes explains, ruffling Armin’s hair affectionately._

_“So, you could imagine, shifting in front of a group of kids, whose parents were known hunters, that the poor kid was terrified. Worst of all was Grisha’s reaction. That day… I'd never been more ashamed to call that man my friend. The Council brought the boy before ‘em. Sentenced ‘im to death. They burned Dina fer’ a witch. ‘N Grisha, being a holier than thou, high ‘n mighty hunter, was the one who was set to kill Zeke. Which way he went about it, was up to him. An’ the Council did their part to cover it all up.”_

_Eren looked absolutely wrecked. His father allowed this?_

_“After all that, I ended up movin’ ‘ere, to Shiganshina. Joined the Garrison. I didn’t much want to hunt anymore, but protecting the city seemed alright enough. After a while bein' 'ere is when I met Carla. I gotta admit, I was so taken by her. Sweetest woman I ever met. We actually dated here ‘n there. Though she didn’t much like the drink and I was too much of a dolt at the time to drop it. But, we stayed friends, she really was too good a woman.”_

_Now that, surprised Eren and Armin both._

_“What?” Hannes asks indignantly._

_“Nothing… it’s just. Wow. I never knew.” Eren's green eyes were blown wide._

_“Eh, what’s past is past,” the man replies before continuing._

_“Time went by and Carla started gushing about this ‘Handsome young doctor’” Hannes makes dry-heaving noises “ ‘Round this time we’d been deployed to help some hunters with a nest of Vamps’ in Mitras Underground. That was a shit show ‘n a half, I’ll tell ya, human trafficking, blood whoring, prostitution, you name it. But that’s a story for another time. Anyway, I was gone for a good couple months and came home to find that that ‘Handsome young doctor’ was none other than Grisha Jaeger. He was dating yer’ mom.”_

_“Christ…” Eren replies, rubbing his hands across his face. He knew that this was all in the past, but he couldn’t help but want to root for Hannes instead of Grisha, maybe he was a fucked up individual, but he couldn’t care less. “Why didn’t you say anything?”_

_“You think I didn’t want to? Cuz’ I did! I’d have given anythin' to make yer' mom see reason, but she was happy. And as long as she was happy, I was happy. I never let her out of my sight long, though, I’ll tell ya that. Grisha did try ‘n pull me aside once. To apologize, or vent, I didn’t know, but he did seem to want to put the past behind ‘im. I did warn him though… forcefully. I was probably drunk, not gonna lie, but I slammed his ass around a bit and told ‘im, if he ever let the Council hurt Carla, I’d kill ‘im. Bastard was white as a sheet when I let ‘im go.”_

_“I…I honestly don’t know what to say.”_

_“Nothin’ to it, kid. I’ll admit, when you were born, I was so far up Grisha’s ass I’d have to buy him dinner, but he never seemed to mind. Carla loved that we got on so well, little did_ she _know... When you turned 5 and nothing happened, it was the most relieved I’d felt in my life. Carla was none the wiser and Grisha dodged a literal bullet. ‘Cuz I’d’ve killed ‘im, Eren. I swear on a stack of bibles… All I could remember thinkin’ as I watched you ‘n Armin play, was that things could’ve turned out so much differently, had Zeke not been a wolfborn. Though… I s’pose that’s moot now, huh?”_

_Eren was silent, but Armin could tell that he was a maelstrom of emotions. His white knuckles said it all. “Thank you…” he whispers gratefully. Looking up at the older man, tears gathered in his eyes but refused to fall._

_“C’mere, you,” Hannes beckoned._

_Eren flung himself into the older man’s arms, burying his head against his shoulder and Hannes began to pat and rub his back. Eren was silent, but Hannes knew those tears fell. “We gotcha. We gotcha,” he soothes. “Nothin’s gonna happen on my watch, ya hear me? Right Blondie?”_

_“Right!” Armin replies adamantly._

_Eren nods into Hannes' shoulder without a word. He really hoped they were right._

_An hour passed and the three were engrossed in planning. They cycled through a few ideas before settling._

_“Alright, blondie, it’s gotta be me,” Hannes decides. His tone was no-nonsense. He’d hadn’t had a drink since the wee hours and he was steadily becoming more irritable, not with the boys, but with the situation._

_“Are you-”_

_“Ah-ah, Nah, it’s me or no deal,” Hannes interjects. Armin looks miffed. “Listen,” the older man continues, “I have no doubt that you have skill, which is great, but you aren’t the best at hands-on, that’s more ‘Ren ‘n Mika’s realm of expertise. But you, my blond ball of joy, are the thinker. I need the thinker to be running the show from the background, you get me?”_

_“I think?" Armin supplied smartly._

_“Atta boooy,” Hannes ruffles Armin’s hair again, leaving it a poofed up mess. Eren smiles despite himself._

_“Now, in all seriousness.” All three men looked at one another grimly. “It should be me. I’ll take 'im under the cover of night.” He eyes Eren, “You’ll need to pack whatever small supplies you can. Money, clothes, that sorta thing, but no phone. Those can be traced.”_

_Eren nods as the man continues, “We’ll leave under cover of night, I'll take Eren as far as Rose territory. We’ll get him someplace safe, we’ll work somethin' out for the full moon shifts and if somethin' goes wrong-”_

_“I want you to do it.” Eren insists. His expression unreadable. Hannes flounders for a moment. “If it comes down to it, I want you to be the one.”_

_Hannes can say nothing, but nods along in understanding. “Anyway… we’ll get somethin' sorted out an' when the time comes, I’ll come for you 'n Mikasa,” Hannes assures._

_“I don’t get why the three of us don’t just leave together and come back for Mika after.”_

_“Because kid. If anythin' were to happen or go wrong… those that harbor werewolves are considered just as bad. Whoever is found harborin' a curseborn is subject to death, end of story. There're no “oh I’m sorry’s” there’s no “whoops, my bad’s,” just death. And I’d rather it be an old curmudgeonly man like myself, than a kid who’s yet to live a life.”_

_Armin nods silently in understanding._

_Eren couldn’t bear this. There wasn’t a price high enough in the world that he’d feel his life was worth, not when it cost theirs. But every time he voiced this, they shot him down. He supposed if the roles were reversed he’d do the same for either of them, but it still didn’t seem like a fair trade. Not one bit._

_“Stop that,” Hannes snaps. Eren jumps, looking at him like a deer caught in the headlights. “I can tell yer' thinkin’ stupid thoughts again that need not concern you. These're our lives, dammit, and we’ll use ‘em as we please. If what pleases us is to help a brat like you, then you should shut up and let us make our choice.”_

_Eren nods again. He’d run out of tears an hour ago, but he was still so choked up that they’d do this. His throat was tight and his fever was still clinging to him, he’d give anything to sleep his troubles away._

_“Alright, Armin,” Hannes starts, “You get home. Yer' grandpa is probably worried, no need to make ‘im wait.” Armin nods, before standing. “Eren, I’ll bring the car ‘round. You get packing. I’ll meet you back 'ere in an hour.” Eren nods as well. “And boys, stay safe. Stay smart.”_

_Hannes hugs them both tightly and he and Armin head out._

_Eren couldn’t believe any of this. He leered at the dying light. They’d spent the entire day planning and so far, the Garrison hasn’t made a single move. It was unnerving. Eren couldn’t help but keep thinking about it, so he busied himself by doing as asked. He flitted around each room, looking for things he might need._

_He’d packed his bag with the essentials and within 30 minutes he was sat in the living room, waiting. Eren found himself looking at the mantle again. Standing up, he walks over and collects two frames. These ones, he'd take. He stuffs both frames into his pack. One of him and his mom, smiling in a park and one of him, on Hannes' shoulders, the man was caught mid-laugh with Mikasa and Armin hanging from each arm. He remembered that day fondly. It was his mother's birthday and she insisted on taking the silliest pictures of everyone. At one point his dad even had french fries hanging from his nose. He’d taken them out long before she could snap a picture though._

_It was hard to think that his whole life, he’d never even known the man. Never knew what he was capable of, but then again…_

_He was set out to kill Zeke, a 5-year-old child. 7 years Eren’s senior. Hannes mentioned that Grisha always wanted to be a dad, it sounded like he genuinely loved Zeke, so why abandon him? Why all the lies? He’d obviously spared him. But, to never even make a mention? How could he just rebuke an entire part of his life? How could he even start over at that point? And then to push Eren himself away later in life?_

_This whole situation left more questions than answers. Zeke sure wasn’t kidding about this being a game of truth and lies. Grisha was playing with everyone and moving game pieces behind their backs in the hopes that no one would notice. And Zeke himself was a mystery. Was he trying to shake shit up or make him see the forest for the trees?_

_That entire train of thought was put on hold as glass shattered everywhere, Eren choked as his living room began to fill with smoke, he knew these bombs well, they were laced with wolfsbane. Falling to his knees, soldiers began to pour in dressed in tac-gear. Eren’s throat and nostrils burned and as his vision began to cloud, a kick to his face made his world go dark._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there is definitely going to be a part three. I never imagined this flashback would be so long, but it's practically writing itself lmao. I am a slaaave to the keyboard.


	6. Of Repercussions (Part Three)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crowd erupts again. The sheer noise and bustling of negative energy surrounding them makes Eren’s head spin. People he knew since childhood, faces, both familiar and not, all stared at him as if he were an insect in need of a boot stomping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it's been a minute since I've posted. A family emergency came up. 
> 
> In other news, this recap will have a 4th part. I didn't imagine it would become this massive, but nearly 16 pages in, I knew it was going to be waaaay too long If I kept going. I try to keep the chapters relatively small, so I can edit them as I go along without becoming overwhelmed. So, that is why I yet again, had to break this up.  
> Feel free to let me know if you catch any silly mistakes I might have missed.
> 
> Also, I have created a playlist for this story, if you are interested, feel free to give it a listen.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HgWgNXTXhQ&list=PLlVHjJygJNn4YKWTnCXpjzbw8bVVlmVvV

_Eren jolts awake, his breathing was pained and came out ragged. His throat felt like burning cotton was stuffed down in it. Blinking in his surroundings, Eren’s anxiety rose. He was still alive, but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. This could only mean they wanted something. And if they wanted something, torture, or whatever means they saw fit was sure to follow._

_Eren was never a fan of torture, everyone knew. He much preferred the method of getting things over with. A quick kill, as painless as he could make it, but these guys? No, these people didn’t care._

_They were ruthless and cutthroat when it came to creatures of the night. These were the types that let vampires slowly burn to death under sunlight or used UV rays for torture. These guys still practiced and advocated the burning of witches or the ‘pressing’ method of the old days. These types were the ones that monsters feared were under_ their _beds._

_They’d convinced themselves that they were Warriors for Humanity. And while Eren didn’t particularly care much for what happened to creatures of the dark, he did find that he felt sympathy for those who were unlucky enough to be ensnared by any member of the Council._

_All Eren knew, was that he was in_ deep _shit now._

_Looking around, he could tell that he was in a cell under the courthouse. It was cold and dark and dank and smelled of rot and mildew. Upon becoming more self-aware, Eren saw that the rawness he felt in his wrists was due in part to being shackled, to a bed. With silver bonds, no less. They really were taking no chances._

_A sudden screech resounded as the iron door that led down to the cell block was pried open. Light cascaded down the steps and into the dark hall. Eren’s heart felt like it was in his stomach, it beat like a frantic butterfly caught in a mason jar. More than anything he craved to be back at home in his bed, comfortable and safe. But that was his problem now, nowhere was safe for him. Not anymore. Especially not home._

_Steps echoed as whoever it was, came down the concrete stairs and continued down the block until the figure stood outside of Eren’s cell._

_‘Oh good god, not him…’ Eren cursed to himself._

_Kitz Weilman, if there was anyone that didn’t like Eren, just on principle alone, it was this douche canoe. Kitz was a man of zero tolerance, for anything but his own agenda. His agenda usually consisted of some misguided form of martyrdom. One of those radical types that advocated mass genocide for ‘The Greater Good.’ This man was the sole reason why Sirens stayed away from the coasts, or why there weren’t any Fae left in the woods. These days only Were’s were brave enough to stick around these parts and Kitz was hard pressed to eradicate them all._

_Mind you, Eren had wanted much of the same, but the stark contrast between him and Kitz, was that Kitz found it fun. He was just the kind of sick twisted bastard that Eren didn’t want to have any part with._

_“It’s awake,” the man’s tone is condescending, he seemed to be teeming with some perverse pleasure._

IT? _Eren bristles with more than just indignation. He’d hadn’t even had his first shift yet, and already, he was considered a beast to this dick. How nice._

_“I have a name.”_

_“Had a name, you mean. Names are something meant for human beings and seeing as you’ve disgraced yours, I doubt you’ll even have a marked grave. Assuming we don’t burn you and use what remains as mulch.”_

_A guttural snarl thundered loudly down the cell block. Frankly, it startled them both. Eren didn’t even realize he could make a sound like that and it dawned on him just then, that he really wasn’t human anymore, was he? He had just proved Kitz’ point. Was this what it was like? Was this what they felt like?_

_Essentially most werewolves stayed in a human-esque state. Which suggested that they weren’t always running amuck. They didn’t always shift, or run, or hunt things. So did that mean they lead mostly human lives? And what of wolfborn’s? They appeared to have cognizance, did some choose to live peacefully? Or cursborn’s, like him. Did they live in terror every day? Did they dread a shift as much as Eren currently was? Armin was right. ...They really did know nothing. For all they knew, they were taking what could be innocent lives. Not all humans were good, Kitz was a case in point. Not all humans followed laws, some even killed. Were werewolves really any different? It left Eren with a sick sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach._

_All he knew now, was that if he were to survive this, he was going to redeem himself. And he would do that, by asking questions. Seeking answers. Finding the truth. Now more than ever, he wished he could speak with Zeke. The man clearly had answers. And while he didn’t particularly like the idea of what happened to him, Eren couldn’t bring himself to hate the man. It was sad, considering he was the entire reason the hunter was in this predicament in the first place._

_Kitz’ presence shakes Eren from his thoughts. The man looked as if he were torn between terror and outrage, that is until his expression turns sinister. A triumphant smirk takes over as he realizes. “You see now, why beasts don’t have names? You’re not even aware, are you? You’re still trying, desperately to hold onto humanity, but that cannot be done, you lot never were completely human anyway. You are clearly more beast than man and once we destroy you, it won’t take long to erase everyone involved with that sordid and sinful disgrace of a family name. Your cursed lineage will be burned from existence!”_

_Eren was stewing in silent anger, he could see clearly now, what Kitz motive was; his reason for hating him. It was more than a personal vendetta, this deranged asshole clearly had it in for his entire family. Eren had always thought it just him that was the unlucky one to receive the man’s scorn. This was clearly not the case._

_Urgent steps resounded around them and they were soon joined by another soldier, the man stopped short and whispered something in Kitz’ ear, which Eren could hear clearly anyway. Apparently, the rest of the Council had arrived and his father wanted to see him._

_Kitz gave the man and nod and turned back toward Eren. “Apparently you have a visitor,” the man sneers. He turns tail and stomps up the stairs, the other soldier gives Eren a hesitant glance and soon follows suit._

_Eren was torn. Part of him felt like Grisha was the last person he’d wanted to speak to, but a hurt and betrayed part of himself wanted answers. Straight from the source. He had to know, not because he didn’t believe it; he did, but because he needed to hear it from Grisha himself. To finally have a truthful conversation between them._

_The sound of the iron door squealing resounded again. Two pairs of footsteps came down the steps. It was the same soldier from before, followed by his father. A moment passed before identical pairs of sea-green eyes met, the tension in the room became palpable._

_“You may go,” the older man speaks first, watching the figure in the cell. The soldier at his side tenses._

_“S-sir?”_

_“I have it from here, thank you,” the older Jaeger reaffirms._

_The soldier nods, his hesitance apparent and he scrambles to take his leave._

_Eren’s eyes narrow in annoyance. Seriously? They act like he was going to suddenly erupt into a giant monster and start tearing shit up. That wasn’t how curseborn's worked. A heavy sigh grabs his attention and he looks over to find his father staring at him intently. His expression was tired, but otherwise, unreadable._

_The next thing he does, however, gives Eren pause. Grisha pulls a ring of keys from his pocket and inserts one into the lock. Opening his cell door, he steps inside, closing it behind him. The man was either extremely confident that his bindings would hold, or he was sure enough of his own skill-set that he could take Eren out if necessary._

_He pulls the only other seat in the cell close to his bedside. Not wanting to look at him, Eren glares into his lap, despite feeling his father’s eyes on him. Never one to bite his tongue, Eren speaks first. “You here to mock me too? Or tell me that I’m a dead-man, cause I already know, okay. I don’t need you patronizing me.”_

_Grisha is silent, but the bridge of his brow furrows ever so slightly. “Who’s mocked you?”_

_“Tch… Kitz, who else?” Eren bites._

_“I’m not here to mock you, Eren,” Grisha says plainly._

_“Oh? Then tell me, why are you here? I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen you in the last 3 months, why now would you bother? ...Or is it that you’re here under orders?”_

_Grisha is silent for a moment, assessing Eren in that clinical manner of his. His gaze lands on Eren’s right hand and if Eren could pull it away, he would. What surprises him most was that his father almost looks sad, or resigned._

_“You have your mother’s temper,” the older man says next._

_“One of you have to be a role model. I’m just glad it was her,” Eren retorts._

_The tension between them could be cut with a knife. Neither man really talked about Carla, not since before Eren was shipped out, why Grisha was bringing her up now, he didn’t know, but Eren wasn’t having it. His mother was his world. Grisha wasn’t the most present presence in his life. His time was usually monopolized by the Council or by his patients at the clinic. And while Grisha did try and put an effort in during those years, his absence was felt. Carla, though understanding and loving as ever, was more often than not, placed into the role of a single mother. When Mikasa was brought into their lives, Eren sought Grisha’s attention less and less._

_To him, it seemed pointless to waste time on someone who didn’t put in the effort to be a part of his life. Besides, he had what he needed. A loving, strong, and exceptional mother and those traits were equally present in his adopted sister. Carla taught him what it meant to be a man. Taught him right from wrong, or how to own up to his mistakes and correct them. So yes, he did inherit his mother’s temper and he was damn glad he inherited that and so much more._

_Grisha sat in what appeared to be shamed silence. Eren could tell he was at war with himself, because he too, knew the feeling. He hated this. He hated that he was so cold with his father, but he felt so jaded. So abandoned. And right now, he honestly didn’t know what was going through the older man’s head._

_“I never wanted this life for you,” Grisha finally admits, his voice thick._

_For the first time since his mother’s death, he hasn’t seen his father so choked up. It was jarring. It both surprised and pissed Eren off. On one hand, he felt bitter. How dare he pretend to care, now of all times? But, on the other, he knew. If what Hannes said was true, Grisha probably really_ didn’t _want this life for him. A hunter’s life was a dangerous one. A callous one. One that was expected of Jaeger’s._

_“You know, you have a hell of a way of tying up loose ends,” Eren replies tiredly._

_Grisha looks up sharply, confusion laced in his expression._

_“This?” Eren hints to his marred hand. Grisha tenses. “This right here, was a gift. A gift from my big brother. Funny, that. Didn’t even know I had a brother, but apparently, he wanted me to feel like part of the family.”_

_Grisha was chalk white. His eyes blown wide in shock. He stares at Eren’s curse marked hand, mouth agape._

_Eren’s expression was firm and no-nonsense. Softly, he continued. “Zeke told me, just before he bit me, that he wanted to free me, from my_ ‘brainwashed state.’ _He said the only way to reveal the truth, was for me to lose my humanity. And what’s worse, is he was right. Looking at you, right now, I know he was right.”_

_Eren chuckles humorlessly to himself. “He even said your silence would be all the proof I needed… and here we are. Sitting in silence.”_

_Grisha didn’t know what to say. A torrent of emotions stream across his face, but he seems stuck in a loop. Had Zeke made contact with Eren? Zeke bit Eren?_

_“...You know it’s sad. Sad that it had to come to this, me being on death row, to finally, finally, get some kind of truth. Some kind of answers. And they came from a literal stranger. I need to know, I have to hear it from_ you _,” Eren urges, but the man still seemed so lost. Trapped in whatever swirling thoughts that seemed to plague him._

_Softly again, Eren pleads, “Dad… I need you to tell me, I need to know something true.”_

_That moves him. Grisha scoots forward in his seat, taking Eren’s shackled hand into his. The doctor only then notices when Eren winces. Raw looking, angry red burns encircled his son’s wrists, they looked to be caught in a constant loop between burning and healing. Grief took him as he squeezed Eren’s scarred hand in his trembling one. They’ve already begun. The Council was already hurting him. His boy. He knew then, what he must do._

_“They’ve set your trial for this afternoon,” Grisha relays shakily._

_Eren sighs through his nose, resignation clear on his face. His ‘too young’ face. A young man should never look so defeated. Should never accept such a fate. Grisha sobers. Calms himself and schools his expression. At times like these, at least he had his training to fall back upon. He drops Eren’s hand and sits upright. Eren seems confused by this, but It’s better this way, that he doesn’t know._

_“This trial is a mere formality. They have no intentions of letting a curseborn live,” the older man states, standing up._

_Mere formality meaning, they just want to demean him in front of everyone in town. To cause the civilians to panic so much that their vote; although unimportant, is unanimous. The verdict regardless would still be death, but death alone was the nicest thing they could do for him. No, they wanted to hurt him. To cause fear and suspicion to spread like a disease. To inspire doubts in the hearts of everyone he loves. That is what the Council means._

_“After the trial, you’ll be escorted back to your cell, during that time you’ll await your execution. It will be public. Lethal injection of liquefied silver.” Grisha stands abruptly, taking in Eren’s pinched expression. “_ This, is your truth. _Mikasa will be by, to pay her respects and say her goodbyes.”_

_The elder Jaeger makes his way to the cell door and unlocks it._

_“Wait!” Eren calls, suddenly desperate._

_Grisha halts, still looking away from Eren. If he looked back now he’d lose his resolve._

_“Why? ...why spare him?” Grisha knew the second, unspoken question; was, why not me? “I’m ...just curious is all.”_

_“Because, to live a life alone, to live one of abandonment, is a fate worse than death.” As tears trickle down the older man's face he wonders. He wonders if Eren could see the forest for the trees. It takes his all to walk away._

_The sound of the iron door as it slams feels like the first of many nails in his coffin. Eren didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what to think. So he did the only thing he could think to do; he shut down. He sat there for hours in miserable silence before light spilled into the cell block again. He would never forget the sound of that iron door. He was sure it would haunt him even in death._

_Three sets of steps came down and soon three figures were stood outside of his cell. Two were soldiers he’d never seen before, likely from Marley, and the other was the man from before.  
Said man steps forward with a literal fucking parchment, like this was still the dark ages. The Council really was going all out with the theatrics. _

_“The defendant, Eren Jaeger, stands accused. 1 account of fraternization with a wolfborn. 1 account of conspiracy of alignment with a wolfborn. And lastly, 1 account of voluntary Lycanthropy.”_

_Eren could not believe this shit. It was one thing to execute a known werewolf because they posed a danger, but to make shit up on top of it? As his cell door opens, the three step inside. Eren is seething with rage by the time they reach him and he lets out another involuntary, but angry growl._

_“The beast's eyes…” One man whispers._

_“Should the accused threaten, attack, or resist detainment, he shall be executed on the spot without trial,” the man with the parchment threatens. He handcuffs Eren before releasing him from his shackles. The two other soldiers manhandle him into standing up, all but dragging him from the cell._

_One gives him Eren a swift kick to the back of the knee, making the hunter fall forward face first. The first soldier remains still, as the other two laugh. One kicks Eren in the stomach, the other kicks him in the face._

_“Look at this beast, growling at us like a damn dog.”_

_“Yeah, leering at us with those freakish gold eyes.”_

_“I don’t know about you guys, but this looks like he’s resisting to me.”_

_The soldier from before speaks again, “We have our orders. He’s meant to stand trial before his execution. We need this to look legit.”_

_“Psh… if you ask me, they should have off’d ‘em already. But no, he’s gotta be some special fucking snowflake, Jaeger,” the soldier gives Eren one more well placed kicked to the face. Upon hearing the crunch, they laugh as blood pours from Eren’s nose._

_“Aw, did that hurt, princess?”_

_“ENOUGH. I said we had orders.”_

_“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Goodie two shoes.”_

_The two soldiers yank Eren to his feet roughly and drag him up the stairs as the third man follows from behind in silence. Eren could see it now, why the wolves hated them so much._

_His nose was sore and still pouring blood by the time the pulled him through a long hall and into the courtroom._

_Gasps could be heard from all around. Eren’s stomach felt like it was going to fall out of him. At least half of the residents of Shiganshina were here. A lot of very familiar faces were gathered around, a lot of which included his friends. Armin was stood next to Hannes and Mikasa. Both men looked outraged and hurt, but Eren knew it wasn’t directed at him. Mika’s face was devoid of emotion, but he could see that simmer in her eyes. He knew that look well. She wanted to tear these guys apart._

_The two soldiers who had him by the arms drop him roughly onto a concrete slab. As one begins to shackle him to a steel girder, the other leans in front of him, lifting his chin. Eren’s eyes are sea of molten gold, glaring at the man with as much heat as he could muster. The guy lashes out quickly, taking hold of his nose, and breaks it back into place. Eren bites his lip hard to stifle his cry of pain. It comes out as more of a grunt and he grits his teeth, trying like all hell not to retaliate._

_“Wouldn’t want to ruin that mug of yours, they might want an open casket,” the soldier taunts before walking off to join the other two._

_Mikasa nearly flies over the gate separating them, but Hannes restrains her, but just barely. The three of them looked ready to riot, while the rest of Eren’s friends seem to be so wracked with shock, all they could do is stare in silent horror. Whispers, murmurs, and general controlled chaos echo around the room. It was then that Eren notices his father in the juror's section. His expression was completely unreadable._

_The room begins to quiet as the head Councilman, Darius Zackly, takes a seat at the stand. Flanked to the right of him are Kitz Weilman and Nile Dok, to the left are Reverend Nick and Dot Pixis. Of the five Councilman, the only one of them Eren held any respect for, was Pixis. More often than not, he seemed the most fair. He was terrifying in his own right, in a way that commanded respect, but he had a moral compass, even if it was often overshadowed during group votes. His face was the only grim one among the others, who either looked at him in indifference or outright disgust._

_Darius clears his throat and the room falls deathly silent. The surrounding air is thick with fear and confusion. Eren could literally feel the tension rolling off of the inhabitants. If he really paid attention, he could hear their collective heartbeats, like the steady thrums of war drums._

_“Eren Jaeger, it has been brought to this Council’s attention that on the night of the full moon, just two days ago, during a mission of great importance, you were baited by a wolfborn and were subsequently bitten as a result of direct confrontation. What say you to this accusation?”_

_All eyes were on Eren. He felt as though he were about to smolder like tinder under the heat of their gaze. He swallows thickly before speaking, his voice raspy. “Y-yes sir, that is accurate,” his voice cracks. There was no point in denying it. To deny it would be to deny the truth that he has been presented with. To deny it would be a cowards way out and it wouldn’t help him, in the long run, either way. But, each gaze in that room, each collective gasp, each murmur was like a stab to all he was. As if this one incident suddenly changed him as a person completely, as if he were already some beast, or without morals. Eren felt ashamed. This had to be how every creature they’ve condemned felt. Though he was sure that most of the things he’d hunted were indeed by no means innocent, but he knew that there had to have been innocents. Like Connie’s mother. Like his mother would have been, had she not been too broken to turn. In a way, he was kind of glad she were ripped to pieces, unbiasedly by an animal, than to be knowingly torn apart and degraded by those she called kin. It might have been a small mercy._

_Darius takes his gavel in hand and hammers it down three times, ordering for the cacophony of discontent to cease. “Order!” The man clears his throat again, “...now then, as you know, the penalty for any man or woman turned, must be death, on which you have sworn an oath to humanity during your training.”_

_“I understand, it is my duty as a hunter to protect humanity, even if it is from myself.”_

_Something about Darius’ posture seems off to Eren as he watches the man closely. He seems to be over analyzing Eren’s responses._

_“Very well,” he continues, “ however, the matter here that concerns us more are the other accusations we, the Council, have been presented with from a reliable source. This person or persons wish to remain anonymous due in part to their own safety. Mr. Dok, if you would?”_

_Nile stands, but remains in front of his seat, he holds in his hands, a parchment, just like the one the soldier from before held. Eren’s equilibrium shifts. Surely they weren’t really going to play this angle?_

_“The defendant, Eren Jaeger, stands accused of the following: 1 account of fraternization with a wolfborn. 1 account of conspiracy of alignment with a wolfborn. And lastly, 1 account of voluntary Lycanthropy,” Nile recites. The crowd erupts again. The sheer noise and bustling of negative energy surrounding them makes Eren’s head spin. People he knew since childhood, faces, both familiar and not, all stared at him as if he were an insect in need of a boot stomping. A panic sets in him as Darius’ gavel strikes again, louder, making his ears ring._

_“Thank you, Mr. Dok. You may be seated,” Darius replies before directing his attention back to Eren. “Mr. Jaeger, given the lofty accusations presented to us, what say you now in refutation?”_

_Eren grits his teeth. No matter what he says now, there were about 13 different nails in his coffin either way. He couldn’t talk his way out of this. Morally, he didn’t want to. But a deeper, more primal need to survive, made him want to defend himself. To defend his honor at the very least. They would kill him regardless, but he’d be damned if he let these men ruin his name. Horror, outrage, fear, disgust; he didn’t know before, but each emotion had a smell. The room was bathed in this stench. If no one else would believe him, surely his friends would. Looking around the room in desperation, he seeks out only the faces of those he knew._

_“These are all baseless lies! ” He implores. “I would never go against the oath I so willingly swore to humanity! I might have been bitten, yes, that is true, but I haven’t changed so completely that I am without morals!”_

_“Say’s the monster!”_

_“Yeah, he’d say anything to save his skin!”_

_“Why are we even having this hearing!? Since when is someone so special enough to not be put down immediately!?”_

_“I heard he was holed up all day and all night, in hiding!”_

_“Oh yeah? I heard he was planning to flee!”_

_“I heard that Reiner and Bertholdt were so terrified of him that they fled!”_

_“Lies he says, just like a monster, to try and save their own ass.”_

_“I say we kill ‘em!!”_

_“Put that dog down!”_

_“YEAH!”_

_“ENOUGH!!” The crowd silences instantly at Pixis’ command. The man is standing know, his posture stiff. He continues, boisterously. “This young man, who has given his heart to the defense of humanity, and who on numerous occasions, has saved the lives of MANY of you townsfolk, deserves the right to defend himself if no one else will! Allow him to speak! The jurors will determine whether his statements are credible by vote!”_

_Beads of sweat trickle coolly down Eren’s fevered face, mingling with blood on their way down. Eren’s green eyes are dark and blown wide from fear and shock. “You may continue, son.” Pixis urges him in a more gentle tone. Eren could scarcely believe any of what was happening. If he were being honest, it reminded him of high school. In their English class they had to read a play called 'The Crucible' and were then made to watch the movie, it was about a small town, where everyone knew everyone. Rumors started to spread about witches. These rumors were started by teens and children that didn’t want to be blamed for their own wrong-doings, start to turn deadly as their lies were taken for truth. Several people, innocents at that, stood accused of witchcraft. Most of which were hung by the neck until dead. It struck Eren then, how much this moment reminded him of that stupid story._

_The play itself and the movie had thoroughly pissed him off. Eren was a man of truth, he could always be counted on to keep his word and prided himself on his integrity, reading and watching something like this conflicted with him greatly, he’d felt righteous indignation on behalf of those accused. This situation, here and now, was no different. It was terrifying to see mass hysteria at work. To see lies being taken for truth despite the pleas of the innocent and it filled him with an unknown emotion. It felt like barely contained rage, yet he felt resigned because of it. Because the people in this courtroom were clearly being fed lies and they were too blind to see it because he was a dead man anyway._

_Eren’s eyes wander to Reiner and Bertholdt, wondering who could have spread such rumors. The obvious conclusion would have had to have been them, but judging by the outrage and concern on their faces, Eren concluded that it wasn’t likely._

_“I am a lot of things,” Eren starts, “I’m not perfect, I’m only...or...I was only human, but I am no liar. I did not make a deal with that wolfborn. I was not bribed. I did not defect!”_

_“Then why was it brought to our attention,” Kitz begins, “That you were seen conversing with a known wolfborn, a serial killer at that. Why was it that eyewitness accounts state that you and I quote “aided the wolfborn, by treating its injuries?”_

_Where the hell were they getting this from? The scary part was that to an outsider, this was exactly what had happened that night. This was a lie, born of a half-truth, the deadliest kinds of lies were those that held truths._

_“That is not what happened at all!” Eren defends._

_“Then, pray tell, enlighten us as to what did happen?” Kitz antagonizes._

_“I… look, I know this is going to sound really bad, given the information you were fed, but yes, I did treat his wounds. B-”_

_“HE ADMITS IT!” Kitz shouts, this makes the crowd frantic._

_Eren’s eyes travel to Armin’s and he sees as the blond could only watch in horror as his friend's words are twisted. More accusations fly and for some reason Darius allows it. Pixis interjects again. “LET THE BOY SPEAK.”_

_The noise barely subsides enough for Eren to get a word in._

_“I DID. Okay. I treated his wounds, BUT ONLY because I thought he was an injured human! He played me from the start, fed me some fabricated story of how he was kidnapped by the wolf and he even had wounds.”_

_The Reverend speaks now, “Eyewitness accounts state that this wolf not only gave his name, but also offered you life eternal, via bite.”_

_“The hell!? You… you think I asked for this!? You think I wanted this shit show?” Eren retorts haughtily._

_“Some would agree with the notion of becoming a beast if it meant life eternal,” the Reverend deadpans._

_“I was injured. On a mission, that_ **you** _all sent me on. I came home, with injuries! My friends had to help me onto my horse. Are you seriously saying that I had time to accept a curse mark, which is extremely painful by the way, and fuck myself up in the process? And have enough time to have it all done by the time Reiner came to my aid?”_

_“Ah yes, injuries” Nile quips, “injuries that you failed to report. There is no physical proof of injuries on your body, aside from the bite from that night, and it was reported that you declined medical attention.”_

_Eren swears under his breath. “I would like to state for the record that there have been many times on many other missions that I have declined medical attention, seeing as my father, is a fucking doctor. Bite or no bite, I didn’t think my injuries were severe enough to warrant a visit to the clinic.”_

_“I can attest to this!” Reiner shouts from the crowd. Eren whips his head around in surprise. “I saw Eren that night! I came to his rescue!” The blond implores. “He_ was _injured. But, he… I… I didn’t know that he’d been bitten. But I did help him home.”_

_“We both did!” Bertholdt agrees._

_“And I saw him later that night!” Armin pipes up. Hannes hisses something to him and whatever Armin was going to say probably died on his tongue. “I… too, didn’t know he was bitten.” Eren sighs in relief. “But he did exhibit signs of having been injured! And I do believe, and this is my educated and scientific opinion, that with his accelerated healing as a curseborn, those wounds would have faded and healed by now.”_

_“I can also state for the record, as both a medical professional and his parent, Eren has declined medical attention for his wounds in lieu of either he himself or myself handling them. Eren has express training in emergency medical care and tactical field care,” Grisha adds in his defense._

_“Boy could prob’ly sew ‘is own leg back on its stump durin’ a hunt if the situation called fer it,” Hannes jokes slightly, trying to ease the tension growing in the masses._

_Nile is sufficiently silenced, but Darius doesn’t seem convinced. “Medical attention needed, or not, does not change the gravity of these accusations. It was stated that Eren received his bite to the hand, which would indicate a willing gesture and the fact that he didn’t seek immediate medical attention indicates his willingness to keep this hidden.”_

_“I was defending myself! Tell me, what part of_ your _body lashes out first to defend? For a fall or otherwise?”_

_“And what of the wolf’s name?” The Reverend chimes in._

_“Huh?”_

_“His name, it was stated that this wolf gave you his name, as he received emergency medical attention from you.”_

_Something about this struck Eren as weird. This wasn’t the first time they’d asked this question. If it were any other case, it wouldn’t have mattered what the wolf’s name was. What was it again that Kitz had said? He’d wanted to eradicate the entire Jaeger name? Eren decided to test this._

_“Not that it's relevant, but he’d said his name was Ezekiel.” Eren watches the room intently. His father seemed to be taking a relieved breath, but Nile, Kitz, and the Reverend seemed on edge. Pixis and Darius seemed indifferent. To them, the name was a name. It was a wolfborn, so who cared? But to the other three. They seemed angry. And not just at the situation, but angry that Eren has said something wrong. Angry because Eren knew he was giving the wrong name. It dawned on him then._

_They knew. They had to have. Maybe not all of them, but those three, they definitely knew Zeke was alive and they were counting on Eren to be truthful, to not only condemn himself, but his father as a traitor._

_He doubted they planned this, but it did beg the question. They knew more than they let on. These false accusations were all meant to piss Eren off enough to spill the truth. To incriminate his own father. These men looked absolutely livid now._

_“Mr. Zackley, if you would,” Pixis urges, “This hearing has gone on long enough and all the proof we have is null. Seeing as it is a circumstance of ‘he said, she said’ this wouldn’t hold even in a normal court of law. It’s a case of one word against another, and the boys friends and father can even attest for Eren on a personal level. Let the boy have his dignity and die a noble death.”_

_Darius nods to himself. “I agree, we shall have a 10-minute recess to let the jurors come to a verdict.” The man slams down his gavel and gets to his feet. Pixis follows him and the other three follow as well, but not before leering at Eren first. Eren watches his father leave with the other jurors._

_Eren remains firmly in place, held by his bindings. Mikasa jumps the gate, much to the protest of Eren’s guards, her glare deters them. She rushes to hug him. Eren quivers silently in her hold leaning his forehead against her shoulder so as not to stain her tan jacket._

_“Mika… please, you believe me, right? I would never do the things they are accusing me of.”_

_“Do you even have to ask?” She eyes him critically and it takes Eren a moment to realize what has her so put out. She takes her scarf, the very same red one he’d given to her in their youth and wipes the blood from his face. Tears gather in her eyes, but refuse to fall._

_“It’s...already pretty much healed,” she stated softly._

_Eren nods dejectedly. “Part of the curse, I guess.”_

_“I don’t care,” she whispers, “that you’re a curseborn, I’d take you in any way I could if it meant you were still alive.”_

_“Even if I was a zombie?” Eren jokes pathetically._

_“Are we talking Night of the Living Dead or Dawn of the Dead? Depending on which one, that might be a deal breaker.”_

_Eren snorts despite himself and Mikasa caresses his cheek. They eye one another silently.  
“I owe you my life, Eren. We will fix this, I don’t know how, but we will.”_

_“The only thing you can do for me now, is to not get any more mixed up in this if at all possible. It’s not just me they want dead, but dad too. And one could only guess what they’d try to do if you intervened.”_

_“Eren, what do you mean? Why would they want-”_

_The crowd gets noisier as the Councilman and jurors arrived again, Mikasa lets him go reluctantly; her question still hung in the air, and takes her place next to Hannes. He grips her shoulder and she tightens the scarf around her neck._

_The room is oddly silent as the jurors and Councilmen return to their seats. Eren is tense. This was it. They had determined their verdict and he’d be dead by sunrise. A female juror rises. Parchment in hand._

_“We the jury,” she begins, “have reached our verdict. On the account of fraternization with a wolfborn, we have determined the defendant is guilty.”_

_Eren’s blood simmers in his veins. He should have known that regardless of his protests, regardless of character witnesses, he’d still be labeled a traitor._

_“On the account of conspiracy of alignment with a wolfborn, we have determined the defendant to be guilty. A further investigation will be needed in this matter, as the creature still needs to be captured. And lastly, the account of voluntary Lycanthropy, it has been determined by vote, due to the evidence of Eren Jaeger’s intent to flee, and his unwillingness to seek medical attention the verdict we have reached is, also, guilty.”_

_The crowd bursts yet again, some with jeers and condescension, some with apprehensions and concern. As Eren hangs his head, he tries his best to drown it out. To imagine he were in a safe place, in a time where the people of his town didn’t adamantly cheer for his death. Seeing his friends out of the corner of his eye, he could scarcely read what they were thinking. Jean was outright glaring, Connie and Sasha were clinging to one another, Bertholdt and Reiner were staring at the ground, their faces pinched. Annie was as emotionless as ever. Ymir seemed on edge, Historia was openly weeping. But what hurt him the most was Armin and Hannes. They were clearly wracked with guilt and grief, they had tried so hard to come up with a plan of action, but Eren knew. This was always going to be the outcome._

_“It is with a heavy heart, that we the Council, sentence Eren to death, via public execution, set tomorrow at dawn. Attendance is optional.” Zackley informs as he slams down his gavel, Eren flinches._


	7. Of Sacrifice (Part Four - Of Repercussions)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "That man there’s a witch. Thee witch, to be frank. Their family line is one of the rare few that survived the burnings of old."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would say "Yaaay two updates in a span of a few hours~" But I'd be lying.  
> I apologize in advance. 
> 
>  
> 
> BUT! If it makes you feel any better, music calms the beasts that rage inside and I made this playlist just for you~  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HgWgNXTXhQ&list=PLlVHjJygJNn4YKWTnCXpjzbw8bVVlmVvV

_“Kid. Hey KID. Wake the fuck up.”_

_Eren was woke by a sharp smack to the head. Startled, he could barely formulate a protest. “Who the fu-ffmff," he was silenced by a hand to his mouth._

_“Ah-ah. No names. Look. We don’t have much time, we’ve got about a 30-minute window if we’re doing this.”_

_His shackles clicked as they opened and fell away from his wrists._

_“Why?” Eren queried softly, confusion clear on his face._

_Getting a better look at the man, he could see that he was tall. He had a stern face outlined by a dark salt and pepper beard and his black neck length hair was covered up by a bowlers hat. He wore a long dark trench coat and beneath that he could see black slacks and compulsively shined shoes. He looked like an Underground mobster._

_“Because I owed a complete sack of shit a favor, now let’s get the fuck outta dodge, brat, we ain’t got all day.” Bowler Hat pulls him from the bed and rushes him out of the cell. Eren couldn’t help but feel at odds with himself._

_His whole body bristles as he passes what he’d hoped were unconscious guards. The man was steering him left and right through the courthouse catacombs. Eren didn’t even realize that there was more than a cell block down here. The man was quick on his feet and Eren blamed his curseborn status for even being able to keep up with him._

_Out of nowhere, a guard rounds the corner and the man halts in front of Eren, his larger form dwarfing him. “Fuckin’ aye… ‘Course it wouldn’t be easy, never is… tch…” He pulls a gun from beneath his coat and Eren’s eyes widen. The guard shouts running forward, pulling out a gun of his own, but Bowler Hat was quicker on the draw and shot the man right in the chest. As the man drops Eren gapes in complete shock._

_“Don’t get your panties in a twist, Brat,” Bowler Hat gestures to his gun. “These are tranq rounds. Think of them as high-grade pellet gun shells. They pierce the skin enough to release the toxin, but don’t outright kill a person unless they’re allergic to the mixture. That’s happened," he counts his fingers, "maybe three times. I dunno. Could care less if I’m honest. Now let's go.”_

_Eren nods, more to himself than to the man and he follows along. He glances back at the unconscious guard before they are completely out of sight._

_“So… which sad sack was it? I know a few.” Eren asks out of curiosity._

_The man huffs out what might have been a laugh. “Hannes. He called me earlier on yesterday mornin’. Said he needed to cash in on the favor I owed him. Said his kid was in trouble. I deigned not to question him much further as I’m a man of my word. Never expected him of all people to be helping a fuckin’ wolf though. What a laugh that is. But then again, I wouldn’t have expected him to commandeer me into the ranks of friendship, either.”_

_“And, what are you?” Eren asks, keeping pace._

_“A literal walking nightmare that loves fucking shit up for a good time.” Bowler Hat winks at him and Eren couldn’t help but grin. Leave it to Hannes to enlist the help of an obvious psycho. He couldn’t help but trust his judgment._

_“Alright. This shit’s taking too long. He said not to scare you, but if we wanna chance in hell of getting out of here, we gotta act fast, so here’s the deal.” Bowler Hat rounds on him, stopping their fast-paced trek. “Because you’re new to this, I need you to shut the fuck up and trust me, understand?”_

_“...Okay,” Eren hesitates._

_“There are a bunch of things in this world that you will never understand, no matter how much you try to wrap your head around them, with that said, we are going through this wall." He gestures to the limestone wall in front of them. "And when we go through this wall, we will be in a safe house on the outskirts of Shiganshina. Understand?”_

_“...I understand?” He agrees through confusion._

_“Good. Now I want you to grab hold of me, tight, and don’t let go. Accept what I say as law and you’ll get outta here alive, capiche?”_

_“Okay.” Eren agrees firmly. Despite not knowing what the hell this man meant. He elected to trust him. What choice did he have?_

_“Good.” Bowler Hat begins to chant lowly to himself and Eren watches with wide eyes as the wall literally ripples like water. “Alright. Now. Believe that this wall is a doorway and walk through it. If you doubt for a second, you’ll be repelled and you’ll be stuck down here with about 40 angry ass guards hot on your heels.” Eren gulps and nods. How hard could it be?_

_He watches as Bowler Hat disappears through the wall, the only thing connecting him as proof that he was there at all was their still connected hands. He gives Eren a tug and pulls him forward. Eren takes a breath and wills himself to believe. He feels little to no resistance as he passes through. When he opens his eyes, he’s greeted by familiar faces in a dim room. Bowler Hat seems pleased as he lets Eren go._

_Eren takes in his surroundings and pats his body down in shock. What. The fuck. Was that? He eyes Bowler Hat and soon he’s accosted by three pairs of arms wrapping around him in various heights. Eren leans into them still thoroughly confused._

_“Gooey as this reunion is and all, but we are on a tight schedule.” Bowler Hat reminds them. Hannes nods and crosses the room, he returns holding Eren’s backpack. He must have grabbed it from the house._

_“Okay kiddo, I need ya to listen. This man ‘ere is a friend. He’ll getcha to where ya need to go. Inside yer bag ‘ere is money and other necessities. Take a look.”_

_After Eren is handed his slightly heavier bag, he opens it up and looks down in shock. “H-Hannes?”_

_“Mn. Wasn’t from me. Yer dad pretty much emptied his savings and stuffed it all in there. Dunno why really. He also left ya this?” Hannes tosses something to him and he fumbles to catch it, reflexes be damned, he was still quite shaken. He eyes the object in his hand. It was an old antiquated brass key and through it was a brass chain. It was gorgeous, but it was also familiar._

_“Said you’d know what to do with it when the time came.”_

_Well, that wasn’t cryptic at all. Eren watched as Bowler Hat peeked through the blinds, he clearly didn’t like what he saw, but otherwise kept it to himself._

_Mikasa approached him again. “He said he wanted to be here, but he knew it would be suspicious. I’m not sure about many of the details, but I can connect a few dots. I know you all don’t want me knowing much for my own safety, but promise me, Eren.” She reaches up toward her own neck and slowly unwinds her scarf, leaning towards him, she wraps it around him twice, firmly, like a mother would._

_“You have to give it back.” Mikasa states and Eren nods, green eyes wide like an open field at night. “I mean it. We have to see each other again because you have to give this back, promise me.”_

_“I promise…” he says softly, embracing her. He lets her go when Armin approaches._

_“And you have to promise me something too,” Armin states and Eren nods. “Use your head. I know how you can get wrapped up in your emotions when things go south. But you can’t do that now. From this point on you’ll be on your own for a while, and until we can be together again, you need to watch your own back. Use your instincts. They might even send any one of us after you. After you leave this room, promise me, that you won’t trust anyone familiar. Not even us.” Armin looks fit to burst and Eren hugs him tight. “I know you can do this, you’ve got it in you. I know you can figure it out. And when the time comes, we’ll all see each other again.”_

_“Alright,” Hannes starts, scratching his head awkwardly “you kids need to get back now, ‘er someone’ll think somethin’s amiss. Me ‘n this jackass’ll see ‘im out.”_

_Mikasa and Armin nod, while Bowler Hat just rolls his eyes. Eren hefts the straps of his bag over his shoulder. The pair hug him again and soon the wall ripples. They both look hesitant, but give Bowler Hat a nod and pass through it. Eren still couldn’t believe his eyes._

_“What… is that?” He asks, curiosity getting the better of him._

_“An illusion, in a way. It’s nothin’ fancy like teleportation. It only works for short distances and only if the users believe that they can pass through it and end up in the destination they seek. If all went well, the kids probably wound up in the blond coconut’s bedroom. Having themselves a sleepover or whatever stupid shit kids do to avoid suspicious adults.” Bowler Hat shrugs._

_“Kinda like a mirror,” Hannes elaborates, “except, this mirror's reflection is where ya want to go, but it has to be within certain physical means. Y’can’t just wanna go to Paris ‘n end up there. If ya flub it right, you’ll walk into a wall like an idiot, but if ya flub it wrong, well… let's say, there’ll be pieces of ya floating ‘round in the vacuous spaces of the universe.”_

_“That is both oddly cool and extremely terrifying,” Eren admits, before turning to Bowler Hat. “What’s the furthest you’ve gone?”_

_Bowler Hat seems to consider this. “‘Bout a mile? I couldn’t get ya to Trost or anything. That’s way too far. But I could get ya outside the gates of Shiganshina and into this halfwit’s truck, for sure.” He replies, gesturing to Hannes._

_“Speaking of, we should probably get goin’ I’m sure the MP’s aren’t gonna be pleased to find their prisoner missin’.”_

_Bowler Hat tenses as he checks the windows again. “Eh… Han, somethin’ tells me they’re very much not pleased._

_“Shit on a shingle, y’gotta be kiddin’ me. Already?”_

_His answer is confirmed just as the windows burst and the door is kicked open by half a dozen MP’s, Bowler Hat grabs Eren and Hannes is hot on their heels as they flee out the back. The tall man swings around, shooting into the gaseous mess of a safehouse, firing at random. There was no real way to tell if he made direct hits. He and Hannes are tense, keeping Eren behind them. The wolfsbane gas leaks from the windows and permeates through the air, setting Eren’s nose and throat ablaze, though he had to admit, it wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been the first time._

_Bowler Hat tosses Hannes a gun and the man accepts it gratefully. The three men wait it out. There was nothing anyone could do until the air cleared. They were exposed out here._

_“How fast can you get ‘im outta ‘ere?” Hannes asks._

_Bowler Hat eyes him carefully. “You know I can only take one with me. Much more than that puts too much stress on the passage.”_

_“I’m aware,” Hannes confirms. Eren pales._

_“No!” Both men side eye him. “I am not leaving you behind! You’ll be killed, or worse charged and tortured and then killed!”_

_“ ‘M not askin’ you kid. We didn’t come all this way just to give ya up to these meatheads.”_

_“There has to be another way!” Eren implores. His eyes search Bowler Hat’s steely grey ones and he finds nothing._

_The MP’s however, didn’t give them time to make arrangements as multiple shots begin to ring out. The three of them scatter looking for cover, keeping as low as they could, but it was hard with them being so exposed. Eren and Hannes find themselves holed up behind an obviously abandoned and useless truck._

_“Those aren’t tranq’s they’re usin’.” Hannes states, his tone was firm. Eren had never heard the man speak so seriously. “Those’r silver rounds. They mean to kill ya. Here ‘n now. Not exactly a fair fight considerin’.” He gives Bowler Hat’s Tranq pistol a shake for emphasis._

_“You think he got to cover?” Eren asks with concern._

_“Tch… yeah, that man is an Ackerman, can’t kill ‘em worth a damn if ya tried.”_

_“What has that got to do with anything?”_

_“Only everything. That man there’s a witch. Thee witch, to be frank. The Ackerman family line is one o' the rare few that survived the burnings of old. Through sheer tenacity alone, ‘m sure. They deal with the more natural way of things, not usually ones for parlor tricks or hocus pocus, but they do have their quirks.”_

_“Wait a second, that name, then Mika?”_

_“Dunno, could be,” he says with a shrug. “Does it really matter, though?”_

_“No. It doesn’t. She’s my sister.”_

_“Then there ya go.”_

_“You sure are full of surprises though, old man. Where the hell did you even meet this guy?” The two keep low as more shots are fired. The MP’s were closing in._

_“Met ‘im in the Mitras Underground, during a vamp nest raid. Saved ‘is sister from a blood brothel, I’ll have to tell ya ‘bout it some time,” he grits out. It was then that the acrid smell of blood met Eren's nose. Hannes’ entire left side was soaked with blood. Eren pales. “Guess, I got nick’d.”_

_Without missing a beat, holes peppered the tail end of the truck they were behind and Hannes pushes Eren down to keep him covered. Continuous shots rang out so loudly that Eren’s sensitive ears were ringing. Eren only barely saw a tree rippling near them and pulled Hannes up and through it. They were now in front of the safe house where Bowler Hat was surrounded by unconscious or dead soldiers and Eren couldn’t bring himself to care which._

_“Smart kid, knew you’d catch on," Bowler Hat says through a cigarette of all things._

_“I’m glad I did, he’s been hit.” Eren replies with urgency._

_“Shit… fuck.” Bowler Hat exclaims. “I can treat him, but those goons are gonna find out where we are very soon. And unless we go out guns blazing like The Devil’s Rejects, I highly doubt we have a snowball's chance in hell.”_

_“Didn’t know ya were into Rob Zombie films.” Hannes quips, smiling despite the pain._

_“What can I say, I gotta nephew that keeps me young.”_

_“Good kid, that one,” Hannes grits. He was becoming increasingly more pale by the minute. They had to decide something fast._

_“Where’s the nearest hospital?” Bowler Hat asks._

_Hannes laughs. “About a mile 'er two from ‘ere, but it ain’t gonna do a lick of good.”_

_“Why’s that?”_

_Eren’s face is grim as he takes Hannes weight, helping the man kneel. “He’s already been marked. If anyone is caught aiding and abetting a wolf or any other creature, say, perhaps being friends with a witch,” Eren eyes the taller man, who stiffens. “They are put to death. The only thing that can save him now is to get him as far from here as possible.”_

_“No, yer not. The both of you are gonna get the hell outta ‘ere. I’m done for anyway.” The blond lifts his tattered shirt and sure enough, it looked rough. The MP’s weren’t fucking around. They might have been using silver and that was scary enough, but these were tactical rounds. The side of his gut was riddled with pen-sized holes or larger. Eren covers his mouth, stifling a shocked sob._

_“Since when the hell do these assholes have exploding rounds?!” Bowler Hat was kneeling with them now, trying to get a better look._

_“Since the Council decided to up their game,” Hannes replies._

_Boot steps edged closer. There was no time to get Hannes to safety, and no time to choose between who to carry through the ripple. Eren did not like these odds. From behind them, even more steps approached. Eren was dissatisfied to see none other than Kitz Weilman leading the charge. They were completely surrounded._

_“Kenny…” Hannes urges quietly. Bowler Hat acknowledges him. “Grab the kid ‘n go. Please, an’ do as I asked ya.”_

_“Han?” Bowler Hat, or Kenny? Seemed grim now._

_“PLEASE. We didn’t come this far to just give up," Hannes pleads. Kenny nods standing suddenly and grabs hold of Eren, pulling him, but the younger man pulls away roughly, he scrambles over and crouches next to Hannes._

_“I can’t! Please don’t make me.” Eren implores, his eyes glassy._

_“Kid, we ain’t got no time. Weilman is gonna kill us both if we don’t getcha outta here. Don’t make me watch that. This is my choice ‘member? Mine.”_

_“I can’t...I can’t...Hannes, please, you’re the only person that's been there to guide me through the tough shit… I lost mom, I can't lose you too. I can’t do this without you!”_

_“Fer cryin’ out loud, kid.” Hannes takes Eren’s tear-streaked face in his hands. Golden brown eyes lock with aqua-green. Eyes so much like Carla’s, it killed him. “Yes, you can,” he intones, enunciating every word. “You are so much stronger than you know. And I couldn't be more proud to know you. Carla did a bang up job rasin’ you and I couldn’t be more happy to’ve seen it. So believe me when I say. Get. The fuck. Outta here. Knowin’ yer safe is all I nee-”_

_A cacophony of sound resounds around them._

_Blurs and smears of color blend._

_Everything was red, red, red._

_Pain explodes in Eren’s shoulder, Hannes grows limp in his arms and Eren could barely hear his own screams as he’s pulled into what felt like a thousand different directions._

_Snaps, twists, bends, and pain explodes from all over._

_Then blankness comes._

_And with that, rage._

_That rage drives him forward._

_It rips from him like a howl._

_The rage tears and rips and the world is red, until it’s not._

_Until it’s black._

_Eren wakes again to movement, a low rumbling. His groggy vision clears and he realizes he's strapped into the passenger seat of Hannes' truck. Confusion doesn’t release him for a while, until he looks to his left to find Bowler Hat._

_No… that wasn’t right. It was Kenny, wasn’t it? He couldn’t remember._

_His head felt like it had a million bees buzzing within it and Kenny looks over at him warily._

_Eren curls in on himself, still groggy, still trying to will this headache away. He vaguely wondered if he had a hangover, although it was highly unlikely. Closing his eyes, he can feel Kenny un-tense, but the air around the man stays guarded._

_It was only when Eren began to drift, when his mind began to wander that he remembered the red._

_That he remembered his screams._

Hannes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obligatory appropriate musical insert  
> https://youtu.be/K2C6G3PCpqw


	8. Of Daybreak

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Never again would the Ackerman name be tarnished and never again would people become victimised. They became known as 'Humanities Strongest.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaaaaaay no more flashbacks, at least for a while.  
> But, we at least get to enjoy some insight into Levi's past! :D
> 
>  
> 
> See the end notes for some fun facts!

October’s crisp morning air plays with the fluttering curtains of the open window. Daybreak’s lazy autumn rays shined through like a warm hug as it bathed across Levi’s cheeks. It woke him gently as his steel eyes slid open, squinting in the light. 

He couldn’t remember a time since his childhood that he’d felt this rested. He didn’t sleep much as it was; 2 or maybe 3 hours at a time. Often times he was less familiar with his bed than he was his couch or his favorite well-worn recliner that his mother had bequeathed to him. He laid there for a few minutes, just basking in the light like a cat sunning itself. He felt warm, but not uncomfortably so. 

A low whine, followed by a shuddered breath roused him once more, as he felt the heavy rise and fall of a chest on his torso. Levi lazily inclined his head to find Eren clinging to the lower half of his body, his legs pulled up tight in an almost fetal position. While this wasn’t the first time Eren had fallen asleep on the couch with him, it was definitely the first time he’d done it naked. It would almost have been comically awkward if it weren’t for the kid’s pinched expression. Levi frowned. 

Reaching out, he cards his fingers through Eren’s long brunette tresses in an attempt to soothe him. He knew enough about Eren’s past to know that his night terrors were nigh constant. It wasn’t a wonder why, really. He was brought up in war, brought up to fight and kill and Levi could only imagine the things he’d seen or done. Things no one should ever have had to experience and while his own early childhood wasn’t a glowing recommendation for poster children, at least his mother never made him fight. He’d always had a choice. He’d been taught to defend himself and had been brought up in the ways of the craft, yes, but he was never a child soldier. Whatever dealings his uncle had in the Underground were always kept away from him and his mother out of respect.

He and Eren had spent many a night, both unable to sleep, just keeping one another company. Often times, Levi would send Hanji and Isabel home early, just so the pair of them had something to busy themselves with. Eren didn’t work for him, but more often than not he’d help Levi clean up the shop just to have something to distract himself with. 

Levi couldn’t blame him. Knowing what he knew, he didn’t give the kid much time to be locked inside his head. If he were being honest, he wished Eren would see a therapist, but they both knew that wasn’t an option. So, instead, Levi let him loiter around whenever he wanted company. He’d encouraged Eren to go to school even if it was just for something to do, or let him clean whatever he wanted to distract himself. Or he’d lend him books if he wanted to escape reality, anything was better than the self-imposed isolation he’d lock himself in. 

The raven didn’t know why it got to him so much, but any time he thought of Eren being alone, with no one to turn to or trust, it shook something inside of himself. He never wanted to see him so defeated. He just honestly wanted the kid to be happy and to accept himself and help from others. He didn’t know why he felt so strongly or so adamant, for all intents, he should hold some kind of inherent resentment toward him; he had been a hunter after all, but he didn’t. And it wasn’t out of pity either.

It was something he didn’t have a name for. Levi simply just wanted to look out for him. This feeling was growing stronger the more he got to know him. The more he got to see Eren crawl out of his chrysalis and become comfortable, not just with himself, but also his surroundings, the better Levi felt. 

He took care not to push him, gave him a subtle sort of guidance, but ultimately let Eren make his own choices. And for those times that the kid was being outright stupid, or let his emotions cloud his judgment, he was there to be firm and the wolf seemed to appreciate it.

If he was being honest though, Eren helped him as much as he tried to help Eren. Eren knew Levi could be moody, closed off, outright rude or brusque with people. He knew about his obsession with cleanliness, how he had to keep everything orderly or in place, knew of his claustrophobia, and slight hemophobia. He also knew of his lineage, how they were almost wiped out by vampires and knew of what they’d had to do to keep themselves safe, yet never judged him for it.

Despite everything, Eren was an ever patient sentinel, always watching and waiting for Levi to give him cues. He was also quick to ask questions, even if the answers were obvious or silly. He always aimed to not offend someone, unlike Levi, who never gave a damn. 

It was painfully obvious that this was new behavior; that Eren used to be a very sociable and impatient person, and that his past experiences beat those traits out of him. He was always so jumpy and often always looked over his shoulder. He was so concerned with hiding or running or fighting that he’d forgotten what it was like to just live and let live. Levi knew upon meeting him properly and getting to know him personally that if he could provide Eren with at least a _little_ bit of respite, he’d do it, no questions asked. 

He didn’t know how long they laid there with Levi petting Eren’s hair, but he knew he had to get up and set up the shop. They’d hadn’t cleaned up last night and although he was sure there wasn’t much, Levi didn’t want to leave his morning crew with the night shift’s mess. That and he had billing and ordering to do. 

Levi pulled himself into an upright position and stared down into his lap. Eren’s expression seemed much more relaxed now, it was much more suited to his baby face. If not for the 5 o’clock shadow that he was sporting, Levi would have sworn Eren was much younger than he was. 

He was careful as he gave Eren’s shoulder a gentle shake. 

He’d never forget the first time Eren had accidentally fallen asleep here. 

Levi had woke him in his normal _'generally irritated with the world’_ manner and Eren literally had him by the throat, looking ready to kill. He was caught in either a memory or a nightmare or both. It took him two hours to come out of his panic attack. The wolf was so embarrassed and apologetic afterward that he’d stopped coming around completely for the next few weeks.

After some time and patience, he was eventually coaxed back and Levi made sure to never startle him again. 

He pets Eren’s head again, twirling his hair around his fingers, being more deliberate with his ministrations until the brunette began to stir. “Hey, Brat. I’ve got to get down to the shop.”

“Mnnn...5moremins?”

“Nope. It’s probably well past opening hours. I gotta get down there and help the morning staff and you've kind of got me pinned.”

“Hm?” Eren squints his green eyes open in confusion.

“I always took you for a cuddler, but not a nude one,” Levi teases. 

Eren seemed to have connected the dots if his yelp indicated anything. He practically jumped off of Levi as if he’d been burned. It was amusing to see that he was a full-body blusher. The kid looked like he wanted to floor to swallow him whole. Taking pity on his mortified friend, Levi tosses him the sheet from the night before and the younger man pretty much cocoons himself in it

“Y’know if I knew we were gonna blow past a few bases last night, I feel like one of us should have at least cooked properly.”

“OHMYGODSHUTUP,” Eren moans, flopping his cocooned self onto the floor, thoroughly done with life, it would seem. 

“It must’ve been all that uncooked meat. Really gets the blood pumping.” 

“Pleasejuststop.”

“Primal animalistic urges and all.”

“Youarethe _literal_ worst.”

“Naked cuddles galore.”

“DIDN’T YOU SAY YOU HAD TO GO TO WORK?”

Levi outright laughs as he gets off of the couch and pads over to his bedroom, he begins getting dressed for the day. He settles on black slacks, a white button-up shirt, and sharp dress shoes. 

Returning to the living room, Levi finishes adjusting the cuffs of his white button-up and began rolling his sleeves up when a sight caught his eye. 

Eren was sat in the middle of his living room floor, still bare. His head was inclined, with his throat exposed, and he seemed to be enjoying the sun. His eyes were closed, his long hair splayed across his shoulders, occasionally getting caught in the breeze and twisting like bronze threads. The white sheet hung from his shoulders and pooled in his lap exposing some of his muscled chest. He looked so at peace that Levi began to feel his cheeks heat, especially when the green gems he called eyes opened and caught his. 

Clearing his throat, Levi finished rolling his sleeves and slides his hands into the pockets of his slacks. Everything about the wolf was aglow and the raven felt as if every organ in his chest were going to suddenly short circuit. “...Feel free to hang out up here, or come down if you want. Just lock up if you do.”

Eren gives him a quiet nod, eying him silently like he did that meat last night, it left Levi feeling exposed suddenly, so he takes his leave. Closing the door quietly, he makes his way down the steps only to pause midway, finding purchase against the rail. 

“The hell is wrong with me?” he mutters to himself, shaking the thoughts from his head he continues on his way. He is greeted with the smell of fresh coffee and slow-brewed tea. Feeling bad he makes his way to the kitchen only to nearly be bowled over by Hanji in the process. 

“Leeeevvviiiiii~” They shout, twirling Levi in a circle before setting him down.

“We have talked about this, shitty-glasses” he mutters, his face still heated from earlier.

Hanji pouts slightly but otherwise seems unperturbed, their coy smile comes careening back full force. “You’re not dead, I’m assuming it went well?”

Levi quirks a brow, “We’re you expecting him to maul me?”

“Maybe not in the typical way…” They reply, their eyes bright and full of mirth.

“Oh for Pete’s sake.” Levi rolls his eyes, brushing past them and begins assessing the damage.

Hanji creeps after him, their glasses glinting like some anime evil-doer. “What? Shipper’s gonna ship.”

“Do people even do that in real life settings? Is it seriously a thing to ship real people?”

“OH, it is _indeed_ a thing!” Hanji exclaims.

“Sorry I asked,” Levi deadpans. He approaches the sink and pushes his sleeves up higher before diving in. There wasn’t much, so it was safe to assume Erwin got to most of it, goddess knew Hanji’s lazy ass wouldn’t, they only ever ran the register or antagonized guests with 'too' personal questions. 

Levi didn’t mind to do grunt work or get his hands dirty, so there was no real resentment there. He’d be hard-pressed to admit it, but he enjoyed his staff, seeing as most of them were longtime friends and mostly did this to help him out. 

Levi had met Erwin Smith when he, Isabel, and Farlan still lived in the Mitras Underground. Erwin was there on business, having been a soldier from Trost. They hadn’t gotten along at first, Erwin being an uptight human know-it-all and Levi being, well, himself. 

They met again later, after Levi had moved to Trost, and were stuck together ever since. He’d brought Hanji in for coffee one day and they never left either. While Erwin claimed that it was because of the tea, Levi knew Hanji seemed to have a had thing for studying the occult and all things that went bump in the night. They seemed to become very offended on the supernatural beings behalf, seeing as no real effort to study them or make lasting connections had been initiated and Hanji was determined to be the first. Levi couldn’t say they were lacking in options. 

A plethora of creatures called the cities their homes; Mitras Underground especially, seeing as the inhabitants of the outlying lands of the Maria territory were; for lack of a better term, anti-semitic toward anything supernatural or otherwise different. But that didn’t go as far as saying that they were all out of hiding here, no. A lot of them, if not most, preferred anonymity. They coexisted with human beings everyday and they were none the wiser. 

Only a select few were bold enough to outright come out of hiding. 

These groups usually consisted of vampires. Most of which had extreme god-complexes. Although with the more recent _Wiccan Movement_ of the 1950’s and onward, people were coming out of the woodwork, new forms of The Craft came about. People like Levi, coming from families born to the Old Ways, were able to blend in and mesh with this newfound society. The Craft, although still not entirely accepted among conservatives and Christians, was largely becoming more accepted as other Pagan religions also made a comeback. It meant that families like the Ackerman’s could exist in modern times and not necessarily be persecuted for it.

Often times, a stray hunter would be more interested in slaying a vampire, than a witch, but that didn’t mean much, considering they were just as much a target as anything else. Getting to know Eren, who was now on both sides of the fence was kind of a treat for everyone. Hanji especially. 

Werewolves were generally outliers. They preferred wide open spaces and the freedom to run. Wolfborn’s of old revered the moon and had their own ways and customs that involved living in nature constantly. However, wolfborn’s in modern times had the ability to adapt to city life if need be, but those who were curseborn didn’t have much choice. They either out of fear or comfort much preferred the countryside. It was actually kind of rare for a curseborn; like Eren, to live in the city, as most typically avoided people. 

However, according to Eren, who was a former hunter and now a wolf, he made mention that most forest or coast dwellers were being forced out of their homes. Hunted to near extinction by the hunters of the Maria territory. It was both interesting and saddening to learn about this first hand from the source. If the hunters could cast out and hunt one of their own as maliciously as they did Eren, Levi could only imagine exactly how badly the creatures that inhabited the countryside and the coasts really had it. 

Although that wasn’t to say that hunters and soldiers stayed on the outskirts, either. Some even lived here in the cities, hence why most supernatural beings lived in secrecy. After the raid in Mitras Underground 27 years ago, a lot more hunters and soldiers from the Rose and Maria territories hung around. Levi did not agree with mass cullings of any species, but he could see why the soldiers were necessary in some regard. Levi had been 6 years old by the time the raid ended and while it was scary, he was glad it happened, because life before the raid could hardly be considered a life. 

Long before he was born, vampires had settled in the Underground seeing as it was the ideal location for their nightlife ways. They settled in among several clans of witches, including the Ackermans, and several hundred humans who were too poor or impoverished to live in the grandiose aboveground city.

Eventually, the vampires became a virus. A sickness that rooted deeply and drained the life out of the locals, both literally and figuratively. They rose to power like a mob, having eradicated most of the high priests and priestesses of the witches’ clans, seeing them as direct threats. Human or witch, it didn’t matter to them, the vampires used them as blood bags. Selling them in trafficking rings or using them in brothels. Those they took became known as blood-whores. 

Levi’s mother had been a teenager when she was pulled from her clan and forced to live life as a vampire’s blood-whore. Eventually, she was sold to a brothel and made to serve as many clients as her body could physically handle. Levi’s uncle, Kenny, did all he could to free Kuchel from that life, going as far as using whatever means he found necessary, but eventually couldn’t make a big enough movement on his own and people in the Underground were too scared to help him. 

When Kuchel became pregnant with Levi, whose father was still unknown, Kenny had done the only thing he could think of to do. After some years of planning, in order to save the lives of his sister and his newborn nephew, he enlisted the help of hunters and soldiers. What he’d hoped would be a simple operation, turned into a deadly 3-day war and a 7-year rehabilitation that left Kuchel and Levi utterly displaced. Mitras Underground was flushed out and rebuilt. All the original clans that had lived there were either eradicated or moved on or stayed put out of sheer tenacity. 

The Ackermans where one of these. Of those that sailed over from France in the old days, only Kenny, Kuchel, and little Levi remained, as far as they knew. They took over their family home and worked hard strengthening their Craft, as it was the pride of their clan. Once the soldiers trickled out and moved on, they retook their name and became well known all over the Underground. 

Never again would the Ackerman name be tarnished and never again would people become victimised. They became known as 'Humanities Strongest' and Kenny, with the help of a friend, helped contain what remained of the vampire clans, allowing only those that meant no harm to stay in their midst, while Kuchel took over their mother's role as high priestess and spent her time nurturing Levi and the city. She’d become a well-known medicine-woman and taught Levi everything she knew. He couldn’t be more proud to be her son, even if he was conceived out of the most nefarious of circumstances. 

If he were honest, he supposed this was why he opened his shop. He wanted to create a safe haven for those in need and provide alternative medicines to those who sought them. He wanted to spread his wings and create a life for himself that his family would be proud of. Izzy often called him a big softy who was more bark than bite, but Levi just saw this as his civic duty. It was simply the right thing to do. So he did it. 

“Bro?”

Levi was shaken from his reverie by Isabel, who just sniggered at him. 

“What?” He asks her.

“You’ve been scrubbing the same plate for like, 5 minutes. You okay?”

“It was really dirty,” he replies lamely. 

“Tch, suuuure. Anyway, I asked you how it went,” she reiterates.

“Hm…” he considers this, “well, other than a small pissing contest, we actually got on great.”

Genuine excitement spread across her face. “Really?”

“Yeah, it was odd, not that I’m complaining, but it was odd in general. In all the stories I’ve been told of curseborn’s, I was kind of expecting something a little more… I don’t know. Tense? But it went very smoothly,” Levi admits.

“Well, you’re right that is odd,” she replies, puzzled. She puts a finger to her lips in thought. “Y’know… didn’t Eren mention having been bitten by his wolfborn brother?”

“Yeah,” Levi replies, following her train of thought. “You think?”

“I do! Maybe Eren had more wolfborn blood in him than they thought? It’s not that farfetched if you think about it.”

Levi leans against the dish pit, drying his hands on a towel. “That would definitely explain the amount of cognizance he had. At first, it was like he didn’t know me, like I was a threat, but when I called out to him, and acted as I normally would, he warmed right up. He responded to his name, to our one-sided conversation, it was just, a normal night.”

“Except with fur," she kids.

“Yeah, except with fur,” he confirms. 

“This is great!” Izzy exclaims in excitement. “We should tell him! Wait, do you think he remembers?”

“Whoa there,” Levi gestures with his hands. “I agree it’s definitely worth mentioning, especially if he remembers, but I don’t think we should go getting his hopes up either. We’ll broach this with caution.”

“Right! Of course, silly me,” she scratches her neck in slight embarrassment.

“No,” Levi reassures her, “you’re not wrong Iz, I’m honestly surprised I hadn’t thought of it before. It certainly brings a lot more questions to light than answers though. It could possibly be upsetting for him, depending on how he receives it.”

Isabel frowns. “True, I guess that’s a valid point,” she perks up suddenly, “I guess we’ll just have to keep on encouraging him then!”

“AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT WE’LL DO!” Hanji chimes in, startling Levi. He didn’t even realize they were still there. They had that gleam in their eyes. It would not bode well if Hanji sciencegasm’d all over Eren after a full moon shift. The poor kid would probably head for the hills. 

“Tact, Hanji. Tact, we need to use it,” Levi reminds them. 

“I’m full of tact and excitement, let’s do this!” They reply adamantly.

“Uh-uh. Not going to happen."

“What’s not happening?” Erwin asks, walking into the kitchen.

“Your significant other wants to experiment on Eren again," Izzy tattles.

“Whaaaaaa?” Hanji cries. “That’s not it, I just want to ask questions. And maybe… pick his brain?”

“No way.” Erwin deadpans. “Not after last night. You know the rule.”

Hanji scoots closer to Erwin, their bottom lip trembling. “Not even a little?”

“Especially not a little,” Erwin confirms as Hanji pouts. He looks over to Levi, “There’s a man up front asking to speak with you. I _think_ he might be drunk.”

Levi palms his forehead with a sigh. 

“For fuck's sake. Okay,” he drops the towel next to the sink and walks out into the front of the shop. 

He could only hope that if it was who he thought it was, that he wouldn’t stay long. The last thing he needed was his crazy ass uncle scaring Eren off. Hanji was bad enough as it was. A drunken Kenny could only make things worse. 

He was not looking forward to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, fun facts for people who are interested!
> 
> Levi is 28 years old. 
> 
> Eren is 22 years old. 
> 
> Levi was just born when the Vamp Nest Raid occurred. This whole ordeal took place over the course of the next 5 years, making Levi about 6 when it finally ended.
> 
> During this time, Hannes is called in with a bunch of other soldiers. He is actually the one who helps Kenny save Kuchel and Levi from the brothel and he and Kenny become very tight as a result. He stays there for a bit longer helping them out until he is no longer needed and is then deployed back home.
> 
> Carla at this point is already most likely pregnant with Eren, seeing as Hannes comes home to her and Grisha already have been together for a while. At least a year or two.


	9. Of Kith and Kin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I don’t know if I should say much more. I’m sure you can work out for yourself what happened that night, but between you and me, Eren can shift without the light of the full moon,” Kenny locks eyes with his, “he just doesn’t know it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeey guys!  
> Sorry, it's been a minute since I've posted. Not gonna lie, I was dealing with a massive bout of depression. Usually, when I get into those ruts, I kinda blip off the face of the earth for a while.  
> All is well now, though. Between that and being busy with the holidays, I hadn't had the time or the will to write, but alas! I am here and have brought with me; a Levi and Kenny centric chapter!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

Levi walks into the shop and immediately recognizes his uncle sitting in a window seat, nursing a cup of black coffee, no doubt. As he nears the table, the younger Ackerman crosses his arms. “Mon cher oncle revient, qui dois-je remercier pour ce mécontentement?”

"Viens maintenant, Levi, tu as blessé mes sentiments," Kenny replies without missing a beat, grasping his chest in faux pain. 

“Je ne savais pas que le diable incarné avait des sentiments du tout,” Levi teases.

“Tu me fais mal,” Kenny replies with a whine.

This was how they were. Their biting words were often staged for outward appearances, but those who were in the know knew exactly how close the two were. Kenny was the only male figure in Levi’s life. Anything he didn’t learn from his beloved mother, he learned from his uncle. 

Though, what he did learn might not have given him any favors and was questionable at best. 

“Really, though, why are you here? It’s not like you to show up out of the blue,” Levi asks curiously as he takes the seat opposite of him. 

“Your Maman sent me with your next shipment. Lavender tea, ginseng, licorice root, and elderflower, I think they were? She had a hunch you’d need them,” Kenny replies, having rattled each off, counting his fingers in emphasis. 

“That is some hunch,” Levi remarks, surprised. After all this time his mother still found ways to astound him. “I hadn’t even done inventory yet.”

“Eh well, why even question it at this point, the woman just knows,” Kenny says with a shrug.

“Fair enough,” Levi concedes, stealing Kenny’s coffee and taking a generous sip.

“Speaking of knowin’ things,” Kenny begins to gripe, “why is it that I’m the last to know ‘bout this secret boyfriend you’ve been hidin’?”

Levi literally just about dies in his seat, coughing harshly as he chokes on Kenny’s coffee. How embarrassing. 

Regaining his composure and what little dignity he had left he replies, “ Okay, number 1, he is not my boyfriend-”

“Not according to your Maman,” Kenny interjects with a grin, swiping his mug. Levi ignores him.

“Number 2, I am not hiding anything. Technically. It’s complicated.”

“That’s what most people with secret boyfriends say,” Kenny gripes,“It’s complicated,” the older man parrots condescendingly, laughing under the heat of Levi’s glare. The man either had no fear or he was too stupid to realize he was staring death in the face. Levi wasn’t sure which, but it made the man appear to be more insane. 

“It’s complicated for reasons that aren’t romantic, jackass,” Levi retorts.

“Okay, uncomplicate them and explain,” Kenny teases, leaning forward, hovering over his mug. “Why am I the last to know?”

“Um, probably because your drunk ass is always off galavanting around, doing fuck knows what, and Maman can be a busybody,” Levi retorts with measured irritation. He could really use a cup of Lavender tea right about now, there was a distinct lack of zen in his general vicinity. 

“Yes, but 6 months is a long time. I can’t have been galavanting that entire time,” Kenny pouts. 

“You literally disappeared for 2 months last year, without a word. You literally make ‘fucking off to nowhere’ an art form.” 

“Okay, I’ll admit to that one, but to be fair, I owed a friend a favor,” Kenny concedes, making Levi sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose. “What?! You know how I am about keeping my word.”

“Yeah, yeah, _‘a man is only as good as his word’_ , I know,” Levi recites.

“Damn right,” Kenny replies, puffing up in his seat. “But even still, during that time, I did call.”

“I’ll give you that one, although I think 2-second calls to say “I’m not dead” hardly count,” Levi acquiesces.

“So? Fair is fair, don’t spare on the juicy details,” the older man grins conivingly. 

Levi huffs, “you are worse than a teenage gossip girl.” 

“Not even gonna deny it. I love a good story.”

“Well, seeing as I actually had some questions for you anyway, that kind of pertain to this very subject, I guess I’ll enlighten you,” Levi begrudges, “But it does not leave this room. He’s got enough to worry about without being put at risk.”

Kenny smirks, “someone sounds awfully protective, for _‘not’_ having a secret boyfriend.”

Levi yet again, ignores him, “so, I met this kid-”

“Cradle robber,” Kenny tuts.

“Do you want to hear this or not?” Levi barks irritably. 

“You may proceed,” Kenny acquiesced with a wave of his hand, like a complete shit head. 

“Ok. So, I met someone-”

“Obviously.”

“Tais toi!”

Kenny grins but otherwise remains quiet.

“About 6 months ago, I met this brat. He quite literally barreled into my life, destroying a ritual of mine in the process,” Kenny sniggers to himself but doesn’t comment, “It wasn’t the greatest first impression, but after that night, he managed to find his way here and came in for some tea. He was literally like a lost puppy. He was clearly out of his element, I could tell immediately that he wasn’t familiar with places like this. He stuck out like a sore thumb, all doe-eyed and innocent looking. He came up to me and asked me for a tea that smelled of spice. He said he’d smelled it somewhere before and felt the need to try it. It was highly apparent to me at that point that he didn’t remember our previous encounter at all.”

“Was he drunk ‘er somethin’?” Kenny asks, puzzled.

“Somethin’. Definitely somethin’.”

“Do tell,” Kenny grins. 

“It was a full moon ritual. What other creatures wander the woods on a full moon night?”

Kenny seemed confused. “I dunno, brat, there are a lot of idiots that get drunk and wander to the weirdest places.”

Levi’s face remains carefully blank. Kenny analyzes him carefully before connecting the dots.

“No way!” He shouts, before quieting down, “You came across a wolf? This close to the city?”

“I was just as surprised myself, considering. The kid is a curseborn, too. You don’t find many of those in these parts either,” Levi relays.

“Fuckin’ aye… Lee, you coulda been killed. A curseborn, are you kiddin’ me right now?” Kenny retorts.

“Says the man who started a literal fucking war with vampires? And enlisted the help of hunters at that? I’ll pass on the judgment, thank you very much,” Levi defends, crossing his arms defiantly. 

Kenny raises his hands in a placating manner, so Levi continues.

“Besides, the kid was alone, for a long time. Every time he’d come in here, he seemed so skittish, as if he were afraid of his own shadow. I couldn’t help but feel a little bad for him, so instead of snubbing him and writing him off, I decided to talk to him. He was quite curious about the shop and seemed to have a bit of his own insight. The more he got to know me and the rest of my staff, the more often he came around. He finally started opening up to me more about 3 months ago. I came to find out that he was a curseborn, on the run from the hunters of the Maria territory. He told me that it wasn’t often that he settled in one place for long and that he was about ready to move on before he started coming here. He said it was because we made him feel welcome and he was tired of running, so I convinced him to stay and we’ve been watching out for him ever since.”

Kenny suddenly seemed very serious as he sighed through his nose, rubbing the bridge between his eyes. “Geez, Lee. I get it, I do, trust me, but if the kid said he was being hunted, him being here is not only a danger to him, but to _you_ too.”

“I know you don’t approve. I doubt mom would either, but I do have wards in place. I watch out for my own, like you both taught me. I wouldn’t let him stay if I didn’t think I could handle myself.”

“And what of his shifts? How does this kid manage them, or do you know?”

“Before last night, he would stay the night in the forest.”

“Before, what do you mean _before_? Where was he last night?” Kenny asks, his voice full of obvious stress. To be honest, it was starting to annoy Levi.

“That is actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“Oh, my gods… please don’t tell me you kept him _here_?” He pinches the bridge of his nose again.

“I did,” Levi replies firmly, resolutely. “And before you ask, it worked out just fine. A little _too_ fine, if I’m being honest.”

“How so?” The older man asks.

“Well, he is a curseborn, that much I am sure of. But…”

“But?”

“Last night, I was fully prepared to have to restrain in him some way and yes, at first we did have a little pissing contest. He started in with the growling, typical werewolf shit, but once I called out to him, and told him to knock his shit off, it was like a switch flipped and he was suddenly himself again, just…. Four-legged and furry. It was the wildest thing. We hung out together like we usually do. We even went through the same routine, but again, only slightly different.”

“...The hell?” One of Kenny’s eyebrows arch.

“I know, it’s unheard of. But, I don’t know, somehow, I had a hunch it would work out and it did. Sure, I had to give him an entire prime rib, but he stayed put all night and even woke up on the couch with me.”

Levi realized his mistake the second the words left his mouth cause Kenny was no stranger to werewolves and if his shit eating grin had anything to say about it, he knew exactly what kind of state they woke up in. 

“Awee… my widdle LeeLee~ gettin' in on that were’booty all night.”

“First of all, gross. Second, shut up.” Levi could tell by the warmth in his cheeks that he was not helping his case, so again, he ignored Kenny and went on to the next subject. “So, back to my question, because you know more about werewolves than I do, is this possible?”

“Well, considering you aren’t a fuckin’ shishkabob, I’d say it would have to be, but are you both sure he’s a curseborn?”

“I am _fairly_ , 90 percent sure, yes,” the younger man deadpans.

“And the other 10?” The older man arches a brow.

“That’s the part I am unsure of... See, he has a bite mark, on his right hand. It’s pretty evident what bit him, but you see, he does come from a family that has been crossed with wolfborn blood in the past. In fact, he says that the wolfborn that bit him was supposedly his older brother.”

Kenny was quiet now. A little too quiet. And he looked sober, this did not bode well.

“Oncle? Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas?”

“This kid…” Kenny starts, “he got short, brown hair, kinda looks like he has a permanent cow-lick? Wicked-ass green eyes?”

Now Levi was confused. In all the time he knew Eren, he’d had long, almost silky looking brown hair, but it could be possible that his uncle was describing him. Levi guessed Kenny knew he was being cagey on purpose, because he instantly went to placate him.

“Look, I knew a kid, is all. A curseborn, from the Maria territory. That’s actually where I was a year and a half ago. It was a shit show of a situation, definitely not for the faint of heart. And it resulted in the death of my best friend, who happened to be this kid’s father figure. If this is him, he’d be about 22 years old by now,” Kenny relays, solemnly. 

“Was he a hunter?” Levi asks.

Kenny’s face went through a weird roulette of emotions before settling on a grin. “He was indeed. He still here?” Dare he think it, Kenny sounded almost excited.

“So wait, now that you know him, it’s suddenly okay for him to be here? Isn’t that kind of double standard?” Levi queried, just to be difficult.

“Eren? Tch, C'mon, that kid is as loyal as they come. I just find it highly ironic that after all this time, he ended up with my nephew of all people.”

“You still didn’t answer the question,” Levi notes. 

“You mean if it’s possible that he might have some dormant wolfborn blood runnin’ through his veins?”

Levi nods.

“Considering all that you’ve told me and all that I already know, yes. Yes, he certainly does. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he was just shy of being a wolfborn himself, for all we know, that bite he got from Zeke could have kickstarted what was already dormant in his blood. And…” Kenny leans in a bit closer, speaking more quietly, “Between you and me, I’ve seen him shift.”

Levi’s eyes widen, the question was evident on his face.

“I was there. It was his first shift. It was in the wee hours of the morning, around 2 or 3. The full moon had already come ‘n gone… Just after Hannes was shot and killed in front of him, something… just snapped,” Kenny’s eyes seemed to drift off, seeing, but unseeing, as if caught in the memory. Levi’s expression grew grim. “I don’t know if I should say much more. I’m sure you can work out for yourself what happened that night, but between you and me, Eren can shift without the light of the full moon,” Kenny locks eyes with his, “he just doesn’t know it. I didn’t mention it to him at the time because he’d already gone through something traumatic and I didn’t want him to sink further into himself than he already was.”

Levi’s throat was tight. He was glad he waited. Glad he hadn’t mentioned it to Eren yet. If the kid was feeling raw, like he normally did after a shift, hearing something like this would definitely be upsetting. Especially considering that if Levi could put two and two together, Eren would definitely be destroyed by the thought of having killed people that night. 

“I’m suddenly _less_ put out now, that you came.”

“Oh?” Kenny replies, amused. The guy could rebound quickly when it came to his emotions.

“I was conflicted about telling him any of this, but maybe with both of us there, we could break it to him a little easier?”

“Well, this certainly is a surprise. Up until ten minutes ago you wouldn’t even tell me his hair color, you’re willing to let me near him after all?”

“Tch… look. It’s obvious you know him, and now that you mention it, Eren has mentioned Hannes before, I just didn’t realize it was _that_ Hannes, until now.”

Kenny nods, his expression once again, schooled.

“Besides, it would probably be nice, seeing a familiar face.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that. We all made damn sure to tell Eren that if he saw a familiar face, to get the fuck out of dodge, so honestly, this might scare him off.”

Levi considered that for a moment. Kenny had a point. Eren said his friends would probably be ordered to hunt him down. But then again, this was Kenny. They had a history and Kenny had no affiliation with Maria other than Hannes, and sadly, the guy was now dead. 

“How long are you here in town?” Levi asks.

“My, my, is my nephew welcoming me into his abode?” Kenny grins a snakeish grin.

“Just answer the damn question,” Levi glares.

“Long as you’ll have me, LeeLee.”

Levi huffs, “Yeah, if you’re staying anywhere near me, that ‘LeeLee’ shit has to stop.”

“Nope,” Kenny denies with a smile.

Times like these, the raven really wished he could bury him.

“Stay here,” Levi grumbles, “I’m going to go check on Eren, see if he’s willing to have a visitor.”

“Yes, yes, of course. Gotta check with the beau, see if he’s ready for commitment, I get it. Meeting the family is a big step.”

“Maman is going to get an earful for sending you here,” Levi remarks before stalking off.

Levi makes his way back up to his apartment and knocks lightly before coming in. 

Eren was sat on his couch, now fully clothed, underneath the throw, watching Netflix. Upon seeing him, he pauses the tv and offers Levi a small smile. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Levi offers, coming over and sitting on the armrest of the couch. Upon inspection, Levi notes that Eren was currently paused on an episode of _Parks and Rec_. Andy Dwyer seemed to be up to his usual antics. 

“Is everything alright down there?” Eren queries. He probably knew Levi was checking on him and decided to get the attention off of himself, the brat. 

“Oh you know, typical day in the neighborhood,” Levi replies with a shrug.

“That bad, huh?” The wolf grins.

“Between shitty glasses begging to poke you and a surprise visit from my shitty uncle, it could be worse,” Levi admits.

Eren’s eyes light up at that. “Shitty uncle, huh?”

“The shittiest. I told him I was coming up here to ask if you would like company. He wanted to properly introduce himself. Cause, you know, obviously we’re always having really gay sex up here and all.”

Eren chokes, on seemingly completely nothing and Levi grins. Glad that he wasn’t the only one.

“O-oh?” Eren croaks.

“Yeah, apparently my busybody of a Maman, told the bastard that I was hiding a secret boyfriend and that he should come and patronize me about it, under the ruse of delivering items I never even ordered yet. So in short, yes, shitty uncle.”

“Oh…” Eren’s cheeks and ears were red, it was kind of adorable. “I didn’t realize I was even a topic of conversation… let alone to your family,” he replies, bashfully.

“Well, obviously I had to tell them about this shitty brat I’ve been low-key banging for 6 months.”

“Okay, now I know you’re fucking with me.”

“According to them, I already have been.”

“I feel like I should have known there was subtext involved with all the tea we’ve been drinking and book night’s we’ve been having, I could only imagine what all those nights spent cleaning have meant,” Eren teases, playing along. 

“Something dirty, I’m sure,” Levi jests smartly. 

Eren laughs and it shoots right through Levi’s heart. This kid was going to be the death of him.

“Anyway, my shitty uncle pestered me relentlessly about who my secret boyfriend was and under threat of death, I relented.” 

Eren noded and It spoke volumes about the trust Eren had in him, that the brunette was taking this so well, considering only months ago, if someone so much as breathed his name, he was gone in a blink. 

“I told him all about how I met this shitty wolf brat and what kind of antics we get up to.” 

Eren rolls his eyes, but Levi notices that a hint of a blush seemed to remain, dusted across his cheeks. It was doing interesting things to his pulse. 

“Funny enough, the further I got into my story, he asked if you were a particular brat he knew. One with, and I quote ‘wicked-ass green eyes and short brown hair with a constant cowlick.’”

Eren seemed to tense at this, so Levi settled onto the couch next to him.

His playful tone receded as he continued, “obviously, this set off all of the alarms and warning signs in my head and I wasn’t going to answer him for shit. It was obviously a little too uncanny, but then he explained. He said that he knew a curseborn, from the Maria territory. He described you to a T. So before you go sprinting for the hills, I came up to ask you personally. If you don’t know him or don't want him here, I will tell him to beat it,” Levi assures him. 

He hesitates at first before replying, “he’s your family?”

“Yes,” Levi confirms, “he’s a witch, like me, from the Mitras Underground.”

Eren nods, seemingly lost in thought, “...Ackerman…” he whispers to himself.

Levi nods. 

“That would make you, Levi Ackerman?” Eren asks curiously.

Come to think of it, he doesn’t think he ever even mentioned his last name. 

“That’s correct,” He confirms.

“Honestly? ...I should have known. You… seemed so familiar, I thought it was probably just because I saw you that first night. I thought that maybe you seemed familiar because I accidentally tracked you back here, but, you really do remind me of him. You even kind of resemble him,” Eren says, “Kenny, right? Your uncle is Kenny Ackerman?”

Levi nods and internally breathes a sigh of relief. “Yep. The one and only. And I am glad he is, cause I’d hate for there to be two of him.”

Eren smiles, “I can see why. The guy is definitely an acquired taste.”

Levi eyes Eren carefully, “Are you okay, with him coming up here? He did tell me that you might bolt if you saw a familiar face and to be quite honest, I already had to coax you back here once, I’d rather not do it a second time,” he adds jokingly.

“Well, since you went to all the trouble, and since I am ‘technically’ your secret boyfriend, I guess I could reacquaint myself with this ‘shitty uncle’ of yours,” Eren concedes.

“You might regret it,” the witch warns.

“You might be right,” Eren agrees with a grin.

Levi stands and heads for the door before he’s given pause. A warmth encroaches over his hand, warm and solid, he turns and eyes Eren and their connected hands. 

“Thank you, Levi,” the younger man starts, “For… everything you’ve done for me, I appreciate it. Your uncle might have taught me to be cautious, but you taught me that I can do that _and_ live. That my life doesn’t have to be as cursed as it feels. I just… wanted to let you know that.”

There were many times he thought it. Many times that he denied it. Many times that he knew he was deluding himself, but this wasn’t one of them. Somehow, along the way, he fell. His heart hit the ground running and he didn’t even realize until now, just how hard. 

As he gave Eren’s hand a tight squeeze, he knew. 

He wanted to hold onto this forever and not let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I am not a native French speaker, I have utilized google translate, I apologize for any inaccuracies! 
> 
> Mon cher oncle revient, qui dois-je remercier pour ce mécontentement?  
> (My dear uncle returns, who should I thank for this discontent?)
> 
> Viens maintenant, Levi, tu as blessé mes sentiments  
> (Come now, Levi, you've hurt my feelings)
> 
> Je ne savais pas que le diable incarné avait des sentiments du tout  
> (I did not know that the devil incarnate had feelings at all)
> 
> “Tu me fais mal,”  
> (You wound me.)
> 
> Maman  
> (Mom, or Mama)
> 
> Oncle  
> (Uncle)
> 
> “Tais toi!”  
> (Shut your mouth)
> 
> “Oncle? Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas?”  
> (Uncle? What's wrong?)


	10. Of Trepidation and Resolve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I couldn’t even begin to try to reason with you before the bloodshed started. You slaughtered every soldier that came upon you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare for feels. I apologize in advance.

Eren fiddled with a loose thread attached to his dark blue flannel. To say he was nervous was the understatement of the year. He knew he could trust Levi and he knew he could trust Kenny. The fact that they were related actually strengthened this trust, but it has been almost two years since he’d seen the man, or anyone he knew for that matter and he couldn’t help but feel like he was opening Pandora’s Box. 

The jumbled mess of feelings all could have been attributed to the lunar cycle, but Eren realized he had to stop placing all the blame on just that alone.

Last night was better than he could have asked for. He was in a place that he felt safe, with a person that he would lay down his life for. He didn’t have to wake up in the middle of the forest, naked and alone, covered in questionable blood. It was a wonderful feeling and he felt like he could never thank Levi enough.

But last night also unsettled him. If he were honest, this full moon shift left him feeling even more raw than usual and that was all due in part to his _memory_. It was the damnedest thing, but he could remember it all. Every detail. He’d never been able to do that before and it left him with so many questions. 

He took a deep calming breath to steady himself, closing his eyes, he focused on the scents of the room.

Eren could still smell the remnants of the brew that Levi made the night before. He could smell hints of rosemary, basil, bay leaf and the refreshing scent of sea salt. It was earthy and grounding and it settled something within him.

He knew all these new fears were attributed to the feeling that he had to leave. It was a nagging feeling that he’d been here too long. On one hand, it scared him, knowing that he had been in one place for so long. But on the other, he was so weary and so tired of having to run, and he’d just begun to settle. 

Before meeting Levi, he was always on the go. He never stayed in one city for more than a few nights. He always made sure to cover his tracks and never leave a trace. Eventually, he found himself here in Trost. And if it weren’t for an impending shift, he wouldn’t have stayed for more than a few days. 

Meeting Levi changed that. Eren was immediately drawn in, like a moth to a flame. There was a certain luster in the energy that the man gave off. And a kindness that was unexpected. The man helped him regain a sense of purpose. So Eren got himself a small apartment, got himself into college, he didn’t really need a job, seeing as his father left him a small kings’ ransom, but he liked to think that helping the witch around the tea shop made up for that. It made him feel useful and like less of a stowaway. 

After finally reclaiming himself and starting over, giving himself time to breathe and enjoy the little things; he was afraid. Afraid of losing all he’d built. More than that, he was afraid of putting Levi in danger. He hoped that reconnecting with Kenny didn’t set off a chain of events that he couldn’t control.

He didn’t want to leave his new home and he definitely didn’t want to leave Levi. He found solace with the older man and a comfort he’d only ever had with Armin and Mikasa, but on a completely different level. It felt like he found an integral piece of something important and he never wanted to let it go. 

Taking another steadying breath, Eren resolved himself. He was done running. Come what may, he’d stay here, in Trost, with the people he cared about. He wasn’t going to let the nightmares of his past intrude on his new life. He had a right to live and if he had to fight to do that, he would. Thinking about all of this brought something into perspective for him. He had something to fight for and he would do so, for the life he was making and the innocent people in it. 

Eren heard the footsteps before he heard the bang and regardless he still jumped. That was definitely Kenny, alright. Levi wouldn’t be so damn loud.

“Well, I’ll be damned!” The older man calls out, a wicked grin spreading across his face. “If it isn’t my long lost lil’ curseborn!” Eren could hear Levi’s protests as Kenny; in a few quick strides, flopped himself down on the couch next to the startled wolf. 

“Fucking hell, Kenny! Could you be any louder? I don’t think they heard you in Karanese,” Levi barks, his expression sour.

Eren looked back and forth between the two, feeling distinctly awkward as Kenny slings an arm over his shoulder.

“Aww, c’mon LeeLee, stop being such a sourpuss, we have _company_ ," Kenny replies with a feral grin.

“ _We_ have company? If anything, _you_ are the company,” Levi retorts.

Ah, yeah… my bad,” Kenny replies with a laugh, popping himself lightly on the head, “I forgot, your lil’ boyfriend practically lives here.” Kenny gives Eren’s shoulder a firm shake, to which he couldn’t help but tense up even more. “How have you been anyway, brat?”

Nothing much has changed, Kenny is definitely _still_ Kenny.

Eren clears his throat and Levi stares daggers in their direction. “Um… good, I guess? Still alive.”

“Hahah! That you are!” Kenny ruffles his hair into a mess. “So what’s up with the hair, kid? And is that a 5 o’clock shadow you’re sportin’? Y’sure have changed in the last, what… year and a half now? What’d ya do, wolf out and just decide to become a hippy? Are you one o’ them moon children, now?” He teases.

“Wha-pfff-” Eren sputters and Kenny continues to mess with his hair. Eren peers up at Levi pleadingly, hoping to mentally portray his need for help, but the raven was already in motion, physically separating his uncle and sitting between them.

“Geez, Lee, if you wanted to sit by your man, you could have asked,” Kenny replies sorely, rubbing his tender arm.

Eren, having righted himself, replies, “for the record, I have my own place and no, I am not a hippy.”

“Coulda fooled me, mop-top,” Kenny grins good-naturedly. “For real though, you didn’t deny the boyfriend part.”

Both men instantly flush and avoid eye contact, though Levi remains mostly composed due to sheer tenacity. “I will _bury_ you in my basement.”

“Kinky as that sounds, I’m really more interested in _Teen Wolf_ , here,” Kenny replies in a dismissive tone, still ogling Eren. “So kid, Lee here, tells me you’ve settled in.”

“Uhm...yeah. I just got tired of roaming. That and Levi and his friends are a pretty welcoming bunch.”

“Yeah, they’re good people, not too sure about Lee, though, he’s about as welcoming as a rainstorm in the Mojave.”

Levi rolls his eyes, settling into the couch with his arms crossed over his chest. For all intents, he did look like a prickly cactus and Eren couldn't help but grin. 

“Kenny’s just pissed because I only extend invitations to people I tolerate,” Levi retorts, eyeing the wolf, “The only reason he even comes around is because he forces his way through the door.”

“Breaks my heart,” the older Ackerman replies, placing a hand over his heart.

“If I couldn’t tell before, I can definitely tell now, you guys are _definitely_ related,” Eren remarks with a laugh.

“Right? I was just telling Lee how wild it was that you two ran into each other, without even knowin',” Kenny adds with a grin.

“Yeah, it is quite the coincidence,” Eren admits, with a small smile. 

“I’ll say, damn near kismet, it’s romantic, really,” Kenny teases.

“For the love of the gods, Kenny, there is _nothing_ going on here, and quit quoting that damn movie,” Levi replies in exasperation. 

“The word ‘kismet’ was a thing long before _Twilight_ ruined it, get educated,” Kenny snarks, “‘side’s with how big this couch is, you practically being curled up in his lap suggests otherwise.”

Eren wished the couch cushions would just dissolve and swallow him whole already, he didn’t think he could become redder at this point. If this kept up, Levi would never post for bail, after murdering his uncle, they’d lock him up and throw away the key. Being stubborn as he was, the younger witch didn’t bother to move.

“You boys are adorable, really,” Kenny states, almost sounding oddly sincere. “But, there was a reason for this visit after all, not that seeing Eren again is a drag, but business is business.”

Eren perks up at that, trying to quell his tension. Kenny was only serious like this when there was something important he wanted to talk about. Looking at Levi’s now composed and expertly blank face, Eren could sense that he was definitely about to get some troubling news.

Seeing and feeling the young wolf tense next to him, Levi flashes Eren a sympathetic smile.

“Has someone died?” Eren asks quietly, almost resigned.

“No!” Both Ackerman’s say immediately, in a placating tone.

“No one has died, kid. I promise. But this does regard you.”

Looking between Levi and Kenny, something clicks into place. “This is about last night.”

“How much do you remember?” Levi asks, confirming Eren’s suspicion.

Eren leers at the trembling hands in his lap, he tightens his grip into loose fists to steady them. “At first…” the young wolf starts; eyeing Levi, “I couldn’t get a grip on much. I was in a haze, as usual.” 

Both Ackerman’s regard him silently and Eren continues, “but as the night went on, It was like ...that ever-present haze lifted.”

Eren inhales and exhales through his nose focusing on his breathing to steady himself. Levi had taught him that, to help him rationalize and think and feel, when things became stressful. He found himself doing it a lot these days.

“It was like I was in the driver's seat, for at least a good portion of the night. I remember you brewing something that smelled amazing and I remember eating. I remember laying down next to you as you read. I think at some point I got so caught up in listening to your breathing that I fell asleep. Then I remember smelling smoke… one of your tealight’s had burned itself out, it was around then that I noticed you were asleep too.” 

Eren pauses then, having the decency to look sheepish, “Then I guess I crawled up on the couch despite you bitching about me shedding and… well. Then we woke up.”

“...That is possibly the sweetest and gayest thing I ever heard get said,” Kenny laughs a deep, hearty laugh. 

Eren sinks down on the couch and steals a couch cushion. Maybe if he _really tried his best_ he could suffocate himself without them noticing. Levi snatches said couch cushion despite his protests and proceeds to beat his, still laughing, uncle with it. 

Kenny barely tries to fend off the assault, still in stitches. Sitting up suddenly the older man gives a wave of his hand and the pillow stops in mid-air, seemingly switches direction on its own and falls onto the floor behind the couch.

Eren blinks and Levi glares. 

Eren knew being amongst witches obviously meant being around magic, but Levi usually preferred a more modern, naturalist way of working with energy, so it was definitely different seeing physical magic at work. If he weren’t sitting so close, he’d have sworn hokey Hollywood wiring had to have been involved, but after having walked through a _literal_ wall with the man before, he knew Kenny’s magic was the real deal. 

“I expect to receive an RSVP, Save the Date, or a damn wedding invitation, or I will be highly put-out with you both,” Kenny says sternly, making Eren sit up straighter. 

Completely ignoring Kenny, Levi addresses Eren, “So you remember most of last night then?”

“I do,” the brunette confirms, “I honestly don’t know why, or how, but I remember the gist of what happened.”

“We thought so. I actually had a hunch that you had, seeing as you were so responsive,” Levi admits. 

“So that’s what the kids are callin’-,” with a wave of the younger Ackerman’s hand and a harshly muttered _‘Lapagma’_ , the older Ackerman was suddenly cut off. 

Eren’s jaw goes slack as he watches Kenny huff in silence, clearly annoyed.

“What on earth?” The brunette utters. 

“He was clearly about to say something asinine and we have more important matters to address,” Levi clarifies. 

“Whoa… it’s like a literal mute button,” Eren’s eyes shine like gems, clearly tickled at the idea. 

“Sadly, it only lasts for a few minutes, so back to business,” Levi replies in amusement, ignoring the bird that Kenny was currently flipping. 

“Right,” Eren replies, waiting for his friend to continue, still clearly enamored.

“We have a theory as to why last night occurred the way it had. Although there isn’t much else we could come up with, we all know last night could have turned out much differently.”

Eren cants his eyes away from the raven, clearly deep in thought. Levi places a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Regardless of the reason,” Levi encourages, “it went exactly as planned, right?”

“Right,” Eren agrees, meeting Levi’s gaze. “So what is this theory?”

“Well, Izzy is actually the one that got me thinking, so I brought it up with tweedle-dumb, over here and he, being the expert in the room, seemed to agree.”

Eren nods, he couldn't help but feel that he was being treated with kid gloves. “Levi, just give it to me straight, whatever you have to say is obviously important or you wouldn’t be trying to break it to me slowly.”

“Well, in that case. We think you might not actually be a curseborn. However, you aren’t exactly a wolfborn either,” Levi states plainly.

“Then… what the hell… what does that even mean?” Eren responds with confusion. His gaze travels to his marred hand, clearly trying to puzzle things out. 

Kenny smacks Levi’s shoulder a few times and the younger man huffs before snapping his fingers.

“Oh thank gods… do that again and I will beat the tar outta you, ya damn brat,” Kenny gripes, to which Levi merely arches a brow. 

Kenny levels his steely gaze with Eren. “It means, you had a _lot_ more wolfborn blood in you than was originally thought, kiddo.”

Eren’s expression was carefully blank, but inside he was a maelstrom of questions and fears. “But… I. You mean, this _entire time_ , I was just like Zeke?”

“Could be,” Kenny confirms.

“If that is the case, why haven't I ever noticed until now? I, in all of my childhood memories, have never shifted or felt the pull of the moon even once.”

“Honestly, kid. I dunno. Genetics work in a funny ass way. Generations of the Jaeger clan have been bred with wolfbloods. Some turn out to be completely human, others, like Zeke, not so much. Yer dad is human, is he not?”

Eren’s eyes blaze at that. “Grisha may be my father, but he was not my _dad _.”__

__Images of his last night in Shiganshina ravage his mind. He knew… he _knows_ something happened that night. Hannes died, protecting him, he knew something in him… lashed out. He remembered blood, the scent of iron was heavy in the air that night, as well as gunsmoke, but it was all a smear in his mind's eye._ _

__“Eren, Eren, hey?” Kenny gives his shoulder a light shake. “I’m sorry, kid. I know… I know what Han meant to you.”_ _

__Eren blinks out of his haze and levels with Kenny. “What aren’t you telling me?”_ _

__The older Ackerman swallows around a sudden lump in his throat. If Levi didn’t know any better, his uncle almost seemed _scared._ The energy in the room was suddenly choking, he almost felt half tempted to grab the selenite tower from his bedroom and put it in the living room with them._ _

__“Look kid, what I’m going to say isn’t going to be pretty, but… you have to know,” the older witch admits, his expression tight._ _

__Eren nods; resigned._ _

__Levi wanted nothing more than to draw him near and provide _some_ kind of comfort._ _

__“That night,” Kenny starts, “Han died… right there in your arms, still trying to shield you. Right as I was about to snatch you up and get you the hell outta dodge, you pulled away from me. You were completely unresponsive. Your eyes were bright red ‘n glowing.”_ _

__Both Kenny and Eren’s faces grew more pinched. “I didn’t wanna tell you this because I knew it’d crush you. And at the time, right after...everything, you were already in such a vulnerable state. I couldn’t do that to you. I couldn’t see you destroy yourself.”_ _

__Images played on roulette in Eren’s mind, each one made little sense until Kenny began to shed some light on them._ _

__“Reinforcements began filing in. Some of which were even yer friends.”_ _

__Eren’s eyes snapped up to meet the older man’s, horror painted in his expression._ _

__“You shifted that night. Right in front of everyone, without a full moon present. In fact, the moon was already three days into waning. It was like nothing I’d ever seen.”_ _

__Levi watched helplessly as more and more dread presented itself across Eren’s face._ _

__“I couldn’t even begin to try to reason with you before the bloodshed started. You slaughtered every soldier that came upon you. Despite still being shot at. It was over as quick as it came. Never have I seen a wolf move so fast, or with such purpose. The only ones left standing when all was said and done, were me ‘n your friends. They were too scared to move and you started to approach them. I couldn’t tell if you sparing us was a fluke or not, but by the time I got my wits about me and knocked your ass out, we were already on the outskirts of Shiganshina.”_ _

__Eren was shaking like a leaf in a storm, his lips trembling. His arms were wrapped around himself and the kid was barely holding himself together as silent tears streamed down his face. It only took a second before Levi’s arms were wound tightly around him._ _

__He knew the story would be bad, but he never expected this. Eren choked back a sob into his button-down shirt as he clung to him like a lifeline._ _

__Kenny was sat on the coffee table in front of them now, his own face still haunted as he drug his hands across his own dampened cheeks, he looked almost as much of a mess as Eren currently did. It stunned Levi to see him this way, but he realized. They had both lost someone they cared about that day. Lost and locked in whatever horrors they bared witness to, or had participated in._ _

__Levi couldn’t imagine what that was like. He’d seen his share of war, and yes it scarred him, but he was a child at the time. Children tended to be resilient. He’d had time, support, and a wonderful mother to help him cope through all of it, to the point that it didn’t bother him anymore. He could only hope that all of her teachings would help him now._ _

__“Eren,” Kenny begins, leaning forward to rub soothing circles on the young man’s back, “I know… I know its bad. I know you feel like a monster, but _please_ go easy on yourself. Those… animals, they got what they deserved. I _need_ you to _know_ that you didn’t harm anyone that didn’t already deserve it, and I _promise_ you… you didn’t hurt any of your friends. Anyone would have reacted like you did. Anyone would have lashed out. Whether out of grief or rage… it was a very _human_ reaction.”_ _

__Eren buries himself further into Levi’s chest. Each stifled sob tore at the witch’s heart. Levi gazed helplessly at his uncle only to receive an equally helpless expression in return._ _

__All three men stayed there in their respective spots for about an hour. During which Eren steadily grew calmer as Levi held him, occasionally running his fingers through Eren’s hair, attempting to release the tangles his uncle had made earlier._ _

__The older man in question resigned himself to sitting in Levi’s recliner, his leg crossed over his knee as he tried and failed to pretend to read a book. At this point, it was safe to say that the wolf was locked in a fitful sleep._ _

__“He had to know,” Kenny states quietly._ _

__“I know,” Levi acknowledges._ _

__“I wish there was an easier way of telling him, but there is no pretty way of painting it. He’s dangerous Levi,” the look the older man received was as cool as ice._ _

__“I’m not trying to be hateful. I’m merely statin’ what’s fact and you know it. Without knowin' what he really is, he will be a flight risk.”_ _

__“You think I haven’t considered that? You think I don’t already have contingencies in place?” An anger flared within Levi’s eyes, one of which Kenny has never seen before._ _

__“Lee, if it came down to putting him down, if you sincerely had to, could you do it?” the older man asks, his expression blank. His gaze was sharp, like a finely crafted blade. Levi was silent._ _

__“I get it. Hell, I see it. And don’t you deny it. You’re compromised,” the older witch states factually as though reading ingredients from his grimoire._ _

__“That’s rich coming from you,” the younger man chides, knowing it was a low blow._ _

__Kenny’s expression darkens slightly before he sighs and relents. “This isn’t just like dating a hunter… I would never doubt Eren’s loyalties. But he is a hurricane, Levi. In more ways than one. He might seem soft, vulnerable even, but he is something to be feared.”_ _

__“Why didn’t you keep him with you?” Levi argues. “Of all the people I could think of that could help him cope, help him learn to control himself, why did you just let him run off? He was alone Kenny. And scared. You think he doesn’t know what he is now? Try a year ago, try 6 months ago? He didn’t _know_ what he was then either. He was lost and you _bailed_ on him. You think Hannes would have wanted that?”_ _

__Kenny looked pissed now, but Levi knew Kenny understood he had a point._ _

__“Honestly? I was scared Levi, frankly, you should be too. He could have carved right through you last night. We might have the power to create, to use energy, to will things into being, but we are still _human_. We aren’t immortal.” Kenny sighs._ _

__“ _Some_ of us maybe…” Levi mutters to himself._ _

__“I feared that I wouldn’t be enough,” Kenny urges, trying to make his nephew understand._ _

__“You know what Maman would have to say to that?” Levi queries, curtly._ _

__Kenny groaned, knowing what was coming._ _

__“She would have told you to _suck it the. fuck. up._ You think _she_ knew what she was doing? She was 16… holding together what remained of our coven. Our clan. In the middle of a fucking war, and on top of that she was raising a kid. And not just any _normal_ kid either. You think it was easy for her to raise a halfblood? If you think Eren is any _different_ than that, you are sorely mistaken.”_ _

__Kenny stares down at his boots, looking thoroughly chastised. “Lee, you know I don’t mean anything by it.”_ _

__“I get that Eren is dangerous, you think I don’t fuckin’ know that? But ya know what, so am _I_. If I could be given a chance, if I could be given a _life_ , so can he. He needs people in his life that won’t turn him away, I don’t give a single fuck if I have your approval or not, if you won’t help him, I sure as shit will. As I already have been, while you’ve been fucked off to who knows where.”_ _

__Kenny stares at the entwined pair on the couch and sighs in defeat. “Okay,” he relents, “but just know, this might have been a step back, rather than a step forward.”_ _

__“I am aware and still, I have no fucks to give,” Levi deadpans._ _

__Kenny chuckles quietly to himself. He gestures to the pair with his head. “You really love the kid, don’t you?”_ _

__Looking down at the slumbering mess in his lap, Levi didn’t have it in himself to deny it. “Someone has to.”_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoop, there it is.  
> Bombshell = dropped.
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you for reading! Feel free to let me know what you thought~


	11. Of Catharsis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They wound up downtown, near a long strip of bodegas and Levi gave him a pleased hum of approval. Eren couldn’t decide whether to preen or blush and settled on an odd mix of both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are in for a treat. ; )

It was about a week into Kenny’s stay in Trost, that both he and Levi managed to coax Eren out of his self-imposed misery. 

Levi had emailed Eren’s professors and let them know of his leave of absence and they seemed relatively understanding, offering to reschedule any minor exams he’d missed. Both Ackerman witches spent the better part of the week running damage control, by providing encouragement, advice, and welcome distractions. 

All in all, it could have gone worse. It helped that Eren seemed determined this time around, to continue on with his new life and not let this newfound information eat at him. Sure, the initial shock broke something in him all over again, but one key difference between this time and the last was that this time, he had shoulders to lean on. 

Both Levi and Kenny went on to inform him further about his lineage and to their immense surprise, Eren had even let Hanji take a sample of his blood to compare with various other wolfblood samples. 

The results were spot on. By some stretch, he’d definitely had a vast amount of wolfborn genes running through his veins. It was determined that Zeke’s bite merely filled some kind of gene sequence cap that he’d been missing. Eren was silent throughout the whole ordeal, but Levi could tell that he was taking everything in stride. The young witch couldn’t help but feel proud of him. 

Knowing now that he could shift without a full moon, Eren seemed determined to learn to control this ability. Since it had only occurred at random once before, he couldn’t be sure that it wouldn’t happen again. In order to prevent some kind of accident, he, Kenny, and Levi took to training together. 

Since neither Kenny nor Levi were werewolves, they did a lot of improvising. Both men were highly skilled in their craft. Trying to find what could trigger a shift in the young wolf. Eren too had a fair amount of knowledge that he’d accrued during his time as a hunter, but he was highly reluctant to utilize it, as it heavily involved torture. 

They soon found that sparring, although fun, had little effect. While Levi took a more patient approach, using meditative techniques, Kenny took to formulating intricate surprise attacks. They were successful at scaring the piss out of the kid, but not causing a shift.

So far, they hadn’t had any luck. 

Eren was sitting down in the cafe that morning nursing a cup of coffee, opting for downtime from training, his school work from the previous week was scattered around him on the table. Although he tried to distract himself from his thoughts, he found his mind wandering either way. It was an uphill battle. 

He couldn’t help the nagging feeling that the answers he sought still resided in Shiganshina, in whatever place the key that his father gave him lead him to. As much as he appreciated Levi and Kenny in their vigil to help him figure things out, he couldn’t help but wish he could confide in Armin. 

Not for the first time, he wondered how his best friend was faring. Pulling Mikasa’s scarf tighter around his neck, he felt homesick. He missed them both, terribly. Kenny couldn’t recall for sure which of his friends had seen the incident, but it only added to his misery to know that any of them did. He couldn’t help but ask himself; were they afraid of him? What did they think of him in that moment? Did they tell the others? He may have spared them instinctively, but were they hurt? Did they hate what he's become? These thoughts and more plagued him.

He was pulled from his thoughts when a pair of thin, but firm arms wrapped around his shoulders. A smile immediately graced his face as he leaned into Isabel’s embrace. “You looked like you could use one of these,” she explained, giving him a firmer squeeze. 

“I appreciate it.”

“Having trouble pretending to study?” She grins knowingly.

He gives her a breathy laugh. “That obvious?”

“Yeah, you’re pretty much a beacon of brooding thoughts,” she replied with a pinched smile. “That and, I have prior experience.”

Eren smiled genuinely at that.

Apparently, in his teenage years, Levi used to wear his thoughts close to the vest, but according to Izzy, he actually wore them on his sleeve. Apparently, the man used to be the ‘dark and brooding’ type when they were in school together.

As the years went on, the older man became less clammed up. Eren supposed that there was a difference between being withdrawn and being private. Looking at the man now, he never could have guessed. Then again, Levi was a lot different with him than he was with others. It never used to be obvious, but as the days went on, more often than not the distance between them was growing thin.

Casual touches became more deliberate, their late nights; while still spent in comfortable silence, seemed to buzz with the life of deep or lighthearted conversation. Levi became more indulgent with him. From hugging him more freely to all-out using him as a personal leaning post, even when in the company of others. It made Eren preen a little, knowing that the man wasn’t nearly as affectionate with anyone else. 

Well, unless you counted _Isabel_ , but who wouldn’t be affectionate with her? She was a literal ray of sunshine that radiated fun-loving energy like it was her job. 

“I’d say so. I wonder what it would have been like to see Levi back in his ‘emo days.’”

Isabel laughs in delight. “Well, let's just say there were a lot more black items in his wardrobe, a lot more dark angsty music, stereotypical ‘scene-kid’ hair, black nail polish and well, between us, I’d never imagined Levi would open a tea shop of all things. A Hot Topic store, maybe, but a well-respected apothecary like this? Nah.”

A peal of laughter tore itself from both of them and it felt so good to Eren. It felt cathartic as he wiped the corner of his eyes. The Ackerman in question approached them with crossed arms, a confused smile playing on his lips. “What’d I miss?”

His question only had the pair laughing again. “Ooooh nothing~” Isabel sing-songed.

“That tone has only ever meant trouble,” Levi replies with measured dread.

If her conniving grin suggested anything, he’d say he hit the nail on the head. He was surrounded by delinquents. “Your boyfriend just called, by the way. He says he’s coming here on business, but once he takes care of it, he’s gonna swing by here.”

Isabel seemed to brighten even more at this and Eren couldn’t help but smile. He hadn’t met Farlan Church yet, but he’d heard plenty of good things. He knew that the three of them; like himself, Armin, and Mikasa, all grew up together in the Mitras Underground. The trio were the best of friends and if Isabel and Levi were any indications, they were all inseparable. Eren, though feeling that longing ache in his chest for his own friends, felt happy at the same time. He looked forward to meeting him and seeing Isabel and Levi happy. 

The doorbell chimed as a customer walked in and Isabel flitted back behind the counter, while Levi stayed put, he seemed to be analyzing him intently.

“It’s nice,” Levi comments, as though referring to the weather.

“What is?” Eren replies, an inquisitive smile still in place. 

“Seeing you laugh and smile, you’re opening up again,” he says simply.

Eren could feel his cheeks heat up as he cants his eyes down to his art history textbook. “After the week we’ve had, it… feels kinda good, actually.”

Levi closes to gap between them as he leans against the hightop table, taking Eren’s books in hand and closing them. He gathers his papers into a neat pile. Eren’s silence is questioning but he otherwise allows the other man to do so. “Then,” Levi starts, “why don’t we put this stuff away and get out of here for a while?”

Eren’s face was still red as far as he could tell. “What do you suggest?”

“Well, knowing you, and I do,” Levi informs, “you’ve not only been locked up inside that head of yours, but you’ve also been cooped up in your apartment and here at the shop for the last week. It’d be good to get out and get some fresh air.”

“Technically, being here means that I _have_ been getting out,” Eren remonstrates feebly.

“‘The Kettle’ doesn’t count, you practically live here,” Levi replies in a manner of fact.

“ _You_ don’t count,” Eren retorts petulantly, with a pout.

Levi smirks, knowing he’d won. “I’m going to put this,” he hints to Erens supplies, “up in the loft, then _we_ are getting out of here.”

“Isn’t it bad for business if the owner/manager of an establishment leaves during a shift?” Eren tries.

“I make my own damn rules. Besides, Izzy and Hanji are covering the floor right now,” he gestures to her and them behind the counter, to which he receives a thumbs up. “ _And _we all took a vote and decided you needed an intervention,” he adds flatly.__

__Eren gapes at him as though offended. “ _Thanks_ , guys!” He calls across the room, earning him a few shameless giggles. “Fine,” he relents, meeting Levi’s mirth-filled eyes._ _

__A few minutes later found both men outdoors, walking at a leisurely pace toward the subway station. It was nice out, for late October, it was only a few days until Halloween, or Samhain, as Levi called it. Eren was glad he’d pulled his hair into a ponytail today, as the wind whipped it and Mikasa’s scarf around._ _

__“So… I get the intervention part, but I didn’t think you liked getting out much during the day,” Eren comments._ _

__“I love getting out, actually. Especially in nature,” Levi relays, “It’s _people_ I can’t stand. Or rather, _idiots_.”_ _

__“That is a very ‘Levi’ response, If I’ve heard any,” Eren replies with a small grin. “But, I agree. I love the city, but I kinda miss the wide open spaces. I used to get out a lot more. Used to take my horse out and ride around in the open fields or the forests for hours,” he admits, nostalgically._ _

__“I’ve only ever been horseback riding once, but I could definitely see the appeal,” Levi agrees. “I don’t often live by restrictions, I live as freely as I can, but I’ve never felt freer than when I rode on that horse.”_ _

__“Maybe, one day… we could go?” Eren suggests, suddenly feeling shy, “Karanese has a lot of wide open areas and a forest nearby. I’m sure there are places to rent horses for a day.”_ _

__Levi peers up at him, a small smile in place, “I’d like that,” he replies sincerely._ _

__Eren feels the heat return to his face and stares at their shoes as they traverse the sidewalk, a small hopeful smile playing at his lips. He leans over a hair and bumps his shoulder with Levi’s playfully._ _

__The other man’s steel-blue eyes dance with mirth as he bumps his back, but otherwise, they remain silent for a few moments, enjoying one another’s company. Reaching the station, the pair stops. They each had passes, so they didn’t have to worry about the fare. “So, where are we headed, anyway?” Eren asks._ _

__“Does it matter?” Levi replies with his own question._ _

__“Not really, I guess,” the younger man replies with a shrug. “It’s considered ‘getting out’ either way.”_ _

__“Now you’re getting it,” Levi remarks, clearly pleased with himself._ _

__Eren rolls his eyes, albeit clearly amused himself. If he were being honest, just the thought of being out and about with Levi, in a setting that wasn’t ‘The Pot and Kettle,’ was actually really nice. Especially since they didn’t have a destination in mind. It sent a small thrill through him and he was reminded of that quote about journeys versus destinations._ _

__As they got onto the A-Line, they decided to spice things up. Levi told him to pick a number between one and five and whichever number he chose, is what stop they would get off at, regardless of where they wound up. Eren ended up choosing 3 and the pair waited until the third stop, exiting the train._ _

__They wound up downtown, near a long strip of bodegas and Levi gave him a pleased hum of approval. Eren couldn’t decide whether to preen or blush and settled on an odd mix of both. The pair made their way down the strip leisurely. Levi occasionally stopped here and there, checking out anything that caught his eye. The positive energy here was palpable, people from all walks of life came here to sell their wares. Eren was finding himself enjoying all of the colors and trinkets and the smell of various different foods cooking from outdoor grills or filtering out from nearby cafes. It felt like a sensory overload._ _

__Levi watched as Eren took all of it in, he felt a small content smile play on his lips. “Have you ever been to a place like this before?” He asks._ _

__Eren perks up, turning his head to give Levi his attention, “yeah, we have bodegas back in Shiganshina, but I dunno… this one seems so much different compared to back home.”_ _

__“It’s probably because it’s run by civilians and not overpopulated with soldiers,” Levi concludes._ _

__“Yeah, you’re probably right. This, I dunno… this place just seems so full of energy, is that weird to say?” He queries._ _

__“Not at all, it’s what _kind_ of energy you feel that matters.”_ _

__Eren smiles, “well, it’s definitely positive.”_ _

__“Told you it’d be good to get out,” Levi nudges his shoulder._ _

__Eren leans into the touch, not really finding a valid reason to want to part. Levi showed no signs of aversion, so the two of them stick close, orbiting around one another seamlessly as they continued down the strip._ _

__After about 30 minutes of roaming, something catches Levi’s eye. He parts from Eren, who loiters around as he closes in on a hut selling crystals and other metaphysical items. What caught his eye was perfect._ _

__The young woman running the hut flits over to him, “may I help you?” She asks politely._ _

__“Yes, I’d like to purchase this stone, please,” he replies, pointing to a beautiful vibrant blue-green stone._ _

__“That’s a good choice,” the woman remarks, with a smile, already preparing his purchase._ _

__“I agree, I couldn’t help but feel drawn to it, I think it’ll be an excellent gift.”_ _

__“Does someone need a little more abundance and joy in their life?” She asks, giving him a knowing look._ _

__“They do,” Levi confirms, giving her a pleasant nod._ _

__“Well, this should certainly do the trick!” She replies with a winning smile. “Can I help you with anything else?”_ _

__“Actually, is there any way I can get this wire wrapped and placed on a chain? Nothing too intricate, just simple, tasteful?”_ _

__“Of course, it’d be my pleasure. I’ll just be a moment.”_ _

__The woman set off to work and Levi watched her with measured fascination as her chocolate brown fingers dexterously wove the wires as if they were thread. Within 5 minutes the stone was wrapped in bronze wire with a matching chain and ready to go. She places the pendant carefully into a small black sachet._ _

__He pays the woman and after thanking her he turns to find where Eren went off to. Spotting him in the crowd, he approached the brunette who was watching a street performer play the violin. The younger man seemed enthralled by the music, watching with rapt attention._ _

__Eren, probably having felt Levi approach, hovers closer. Reaching out absently the wolf wraps a hand around Levi’s bicep. The raven feels his cheeks heat. Eren’s grip was loose, as if unsure. Seeing as he was sure to be flushed already, Levi leans into his touch, silently assuring him that it was alright with him._ _

__The two of them watched the performer as he and his bandmates played an intricate but modern sounding score. As impressed as Levi was with their performance, he opted instead to watch Eren’s expressions. He knew the kid had a love for music and art. Eren had told him a while ago that he used to play the piano, his mother having taught him from a young age. It was clear that that love for music stuck with him through the years._ _

__Once the performer finished his piece, the crowd that had gathered; Eren and himself included, clapped. Hesitantly letting him go, the brunette stepped forward to give the man a tip, before turning around and giving Levi a shy smile. “Did you find what you were looking for?”_ _

__Levi’s expression is thoughtful, before leveling his gaze with sublime green eyes. “mn… I found what I didn’t know I was looking for,” he admits carefully, “but yes, I did buy something.”_ _

__He watches Eren as several emotions pass through his expressive eyes; realization, shock, and if that growing blush said anything about it, bashfulness. “Oh, well. That’s a good thing, right?”_ _

__“It’s the best thing,” Levi confirms, pleased with himself. “You want to grab a bite to eat?”_ _

__“Yeah, that’d be great,” the brunette agrees, “where did you have in mind?”_ _

__“I saw a delicatessen with a covered sunroom just down the block,” Levi supplies._ _

__“Lead the way, captain” Eren grins playfully, reclaiming his hold on Levi’s bicep._ _

__Levi rolls his eyes, amused. He pulls Eren along._ _

__A short walk later, had them sat out in the sunroom of a quaint delicatessen called ‘No Name,’ to which Levi snorted despite himself._ _

__“What?” Eren asks curiously._ _

__“The name of the Deli,” Levi starts, “Ironically, back when I was in high school; remember me telling you I’d played guitar?” He receives a nod, “well, me, Izzy, and Farlan were in a band together, called ‘No Name.’”_ _

__“NO WAY!” Eren replies with a laugh. “What kind of music did you play?”_ _

__“Oh… it was trash,” Levi lets out a breathy laugh, “absolute garbage.”_ _

__“OH MY GOD, That’s what she meant about hot topic!” Eren laughs after an epiphany hits him._ _

__Levi blinks in confusion before it dawned on him what Isabel and Eren may have been laughing at this morning._ _

__“Oh, gods… she told you didn’t she?” The witch drops his head into his hands, his ears ringing with Eren’s contagious laughter. Levi rubs his face before eyeing the wolf. “Imagine the most emo music you’ve ever heard, with the most shittily ironic song titles, one of which may have been called _‘Naked giants ate my mom.’_ ”_ _

__Eren pats his chest as he laughs so hard that no sound escapes him. Heaving forward he attempts to take a breath, wiping the corners of his eyes. “Levi… please,” he pleads, “PLEASE tell me you have pictures of this or videos? Some kind of content?”_ _

__“Tch, you kiddin’ me? I salted, blessed, and burned all of that unholy shit,” Levi replies with a short laugh of his own._ _

__Eren was still completely in stitches. It warmed something in him, watching him laugh freely and enjoy himself. The younger man had such a sad laughter about him, as if he hadn’t done it in such a long time that all of his amusement came bursting out at once. If it meant Levi had to recall humiliating teenage memories to hear it, so be it._ _

__“That’s it,” Eren concludes, “this is our spot. It’s gotta be, it’s just too perfect. We need to come here more often.”_ _

__“ _Our_ spot, huh?” Levi teases._ _

__Eren flushes, floundering for words. “Well, we could even bring Isabel here, I’m sure she’d get a kick out of it herself.”_ _

__“No,” Levi says simply._ _

__“N-no?” Eren blinks._ _

__“I like it,” Levi reiterates, “this can be our spot.”_ _

__Before Eren could reply the pair had been greeted by their server. Having put in their drink and food orders, she takes her leave. Eren was busying himself by looking around at all of the random decor. There weren’t as many abstract pieces out here in the sunroom as there were inside, but that didn’t mean it lacked appeal. The light breeze was nice and fresh on their skin, and plants littered the perimeter outside of the sunroom. Levi appreciated the mesh of nature and nurture._ _

__Which reminded him. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the black sachet and sat it on the table in front of Eren. Eren, seemingly pulled out of his thoughts looked down at it in question._ _

__“Levi?”_ _

__“Open it, it’s not gonna bite you.”_ _

__“Funny…” Eren huffs, without much heat. Quistively, he takes the sachet by its ties and pulled the center open, dropping its contents into his hand. He sucked in a breath at what he saw. It was a gorgeous blue-green stone, wrapped delicately in bronze wire. “Wow… it’s gorgeous. Is this what you bought from that hut you stopped at?”_ _

__“It is,” Levi confirms. “This might sound weird, but I felt its energy call to me when I saw it, I knew I needed to buy it.”_ _

__“That’s not weird at all, considering,” Eren replies. “What is it called?”_ _

__“It’s called Tourmaline. They come in a variety of colors; pink, yellow, green, olive, black, and sometimes blue-green, like the one in your hand. It’s known for bringing about good luck, abundance, joy, and for helping with stress or loss. It also provides protection from negativity and disruptive energies. It helps to restore harmony, balance, and boost the self-esteem of those who keep it.”_ _

__“Wow… I would never have thought a stone could be so helpful,” Eren replies, intrigued, turning it between his fingers, watching it shimmer as it caught the light. He goes to pass it back to Levi only for the man to halt him, covering Eren’s open palm with his own._ _

__“It’s for you, brat,” Levi insists._ _

__Eren was silent as he gazed at their hands, feeling the weight of the stone and the warmth Levi was giving off._ _

__“It could help you, in a pinch. And if not for that, then it could serve as a reminder that you aren’t alone,” Levi insists._ _

__Eren bites his lip, his eyes suddenly glassy, shining exactly the same as the stone in his hand. “Thank you, Levi… that means a lot.”_ _

__Levi pats his hand and pulls his away, leaving Eren free to clasp the chain around his neck, just as their server arrives with their food._ _

__Eren ordered a pretty good sized meal and tucked it away in no time at all, watching as Levi ate a much smaller portion. He could never get over how little the man across from him ate. Before Levi told him, Eren used to tease the other man for eating like a bird. But having learned why, it made sense. Levi’s stomach could process food like anyone else’s, but in smaller quantities than a normal person. This was probably why Levi mainly only subsisted off of liquids, tea being the main one. Although the other one didn’t bother Eren all that much, it took a minute to get used to._ _

__After both men were finished, Eren insisted on paying; to which Levi left a nice tip for their server. The pair were off again, taking to the streets. Being late in the afternoon, the streets were starting to flood with more people. Deciding that the bodega was no longer for them, the two made their way back to the A-Line._ _

__“That was really fun,” Eren comments, “I’m glad you made me ditch the books.”_ _

__“You mean the books you weren’t actually reading?” Levi teases._ _

__“I _could_ have been, you don’t know,” Eren protests._ _

__Levi rolls his eyes. “Whatever you say, slacker.”_ _

__Eren pouts, “says the guy who walked out on a shift to go play train roulette.”_ _

__“You’re such a brat,” Levi retorts with a laugh._ _

__“Is the Pot calling the Kettle black?” Eren rebuffs, feeling immensely proud of himself._ _

__“Let me rephrase that, you are a _shitty brat_ , with equally _shitty_ puns.”_ _

__“Dude, you literally named your shop that, _as a pun_ , I don’t wanna hear your mouth,” Eren counters._ _

__“If you don’t wanna hear it so bad, why don’t you do something about it?” Levi retorts._ _

__Both men still._ _

__Given their proximity and the tension that that comment insinuated, both could neither pull away nor move closer._ _

__“Levi,” Eren says, his voice suddenly an octave lower, huskier, it made the knots in Levi’s chest do summersaults._ _

__“Eren,” he replies, his voice deceptively steady._ _

__Eren gives him a breathy laugh, “...I suddenly really hate your uncle,” he whispers, closer than he was a second ago._ _

__“I do too,” Levi agrees._ _

__“...Do you think this would have happened even if the idea hadn’t been planted?” Eren asks, suddenly sounding vulnerable._ _

__“I do,” Levi affirms._ _

__“Really?” Eren asks with a genuine surprise that hurt Levi’s heart._ _

__Levi leans up on the tips of his toes, his warm fingers curling around the nape of Eren's neck, drawing him down an inch, he leans their foreheads together and whispers, “without a doubt,” into the small space between them._ _

__Eyes so akin to the tourmaline around his neck search Levi’s stormy steel blues, looking for any indication of doubt. Levi knew he’d found none when Eren finally sealed the inch of gap between them._ _

__Their lips pressed together sweetly with an infuriating amount of both urgency and placidity. While both of them felt the need to taste and nip, both knew that they had all the time in the world to do so if they wanted, so why rush?_ _

__Levi, feeling bolder, lapped at the seam of Eren’s lips, sedately. Eren breathed out a soft sigh as he granted the shorter man’s request, allowing him access. Eren had a taste unlike any Levi’d ever had. It was like trying a new tea for the first time, there was nothing quite like it; while Eren was enraptured with the hum of what clearly had to be _magic_ on Levi’s lips, tingling against his like tiny whispers, or promises. Both were becoming lost in one another and frankly they didn’t care if they were ever found. Unfortunately the need to breathe and the sound of the A-Line approaching made them part. _ _

__As Eren stared into Levi’s eyes, he found nothing but unbridled affection there, making him blush._ _

__“C’mon,” Levi coaxed and soon both men were sat on the train and bound toward the other side of town. As Eren threaded their hands together, Levi was graced with an unrestrained smile. It made his heart ache in the best of ways. This kid would be his undoing._ _

__Mirth soon replaced affection as Eren felt the need to ask, “So, this was a date, right?”_ _

__Levi arched a brow. “Considering we just made out in front of a bunch of random strangers at a subway station, I’d say that that’s a strong _maybe._ ”_ _

__Eren gave his shoulder a rough nudge as he laughed, “Levi, I’m being serious. I legitimately never know if someone is being nice or flirting with me, I’ve always been an awkward duck in these kinda situations.”_ _

__“Okay, so it’s definitely a strong _maybe_ , that I was flirting with you this whole time.”_ _

__“And you call me a _brat_?” Eren pouts._ _

__“To be quite honest, I’ve never been on a date before, so I don’t exactly know what’s proper protocol myself.”_ _

__“You. Mr. ‘Smooth as fuck’ Ackerman, have never been on a date?”_ _

__Levi snorts at that but otherwise nods._ _

__“I both simultaneously can and cannot believe that,” Eren replies, perplexed._ _

__“I’ve just never found someone I can emotionally connect with, most people these days are out for more than I’m willing to give. That and I have a hard time formulating relationships without having a bond there first.”_ _

__Eren nods in understanding. “So, would it be safe to say you fall more into the ace spectrum?”_ _

__“I guess we’ll have to see, considering I’ve never really had much thought on physical intimacy. I mean…”_ _

__“Hey, it’s okay,” Eren laughs to break the tension building in Levi’s shoulders. “We are nowhere near _‘there’_ , I mean I don’t even know if this was an actual date, I’m not one to assume, but if it was…” Eren blushes, looking at their joined hands, “I’d like to go at whatever pace you are comfortable with, even if that means we never get _‘there.’_ ” _ _

__With Levi, appearing to be stunned into silence, Eren continues. “I’ve never cared about someone like this before, I’m honestly happy with just having that,” the brunette says sincerely._ _

__“It was a date,” Levi confirms, resolutely._ _

__“Really?” Eren replies with a huge puppy-esque grin._ _

__“ _Definitely_ a date,” Levi confirms, affectionately giving their joined hands a soft squeeze._ _

__Eren couldn’t help but feel like this was the beginning of something incredible and new._ _


	12. Of Sabbats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Boyfriend, huh?” Eren whispers between them. Levi gives him a shrug in response. The younger man smiles in delight, he closes the remaining distance between them, peppering Levi’s pliant lips with soft sweet kisses.

“Again!” The older witch barks. 

Eren’s breaths come out in sharp pants, they had been at this for hours now, still not yielding any results. At this point, Eren felt he was ready to drop. It had definitely been a while since he’d been pushed this far and with some disappointment, he’d realized he'd gotten careless, soft. 

Eren grits his teeth as he grips his sword. For someone who wasn’t raised as a hunter, Kenny sure knew how to fight like one, but the wolf supposed that was due to self-preservation more than anything else. Kenny must have taken his pause to catch his breath as hesitance, because the man was on him in seconds, swinging his own sword without a qualm. 

When it came to brute strength, both men were matched, but Kenny had an underhanded way of dealing with fights and that tactic was ‘kill or be killed.’ The older man rushes him and as Eren goes to parry, the man steps into his swing, pivots on his left leg and swings around harshly, kicking out with his right and effectively taking Eren to the ground. 

With the wind effectively knocked out of him, the younger man flinches harshly as Kenny’s blade pierces the ground barely a hair's width away from his ear. 

“Kid… I like you n' all, but I am _genuinely_ surprised you ain’t dead yet.”

There was a coldness to Kenny’s gaze that had him swallowing a hard lump in his throat.

“What have you even been doing all this time?”

As Eren was about to answer, Kenny shifts his knee into his chest. Leaning down lower, eying him critically.

“ _You_. You were once one of Maria’s fiercest hunters. What. the. fuck, happened to all of that fight?”

Eren turned his head to avert Kenny’s gaze. His expression pinched with self-hatred.

Kenny grabs a fistful of the kid's hair and pulls, forcing Eren to face him. “This is bullshit. _Humanity’s Last Hope_ ,” he spits, “what a fucking joke. You had _better_ be holding back or we are in a hell of a lot more trouble than we thought.”

Eren glares up at the older man in defiant silence. What did this guy really expect? For him to continue to embrace that life, just when he was barely starting to get over it? He probably murdered hundreds of innocents, without even knowing. And now knowing that he himself was one chromosome short of being on the chopping block himself, really put things into perspective.

“If you continue to hold yourself back, Eren, I guarantee you, you won’t last long,” Kenny urges.

“WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE ME DO THEN?” Eren shouts in frustration.

“LEARN!” Kenny shouts back.

“HOW THE FUCK DO YOU EXPECT ME TO JUST THROW THE SWITCH ON SOMETHING I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT?!”

“Because your life isn’t the only one that fucking matters anymore kid! Running was all well and good for _you_ , but now you are _here_ , shacked up with _Levi_ and if you aren’t careful, or capable, you will get him fucking killed!”

All the fight seems to drain from Eren then as he lays boneless beneath the older witch. 

Kenny sighs heavily through his nose. “Kid, I know bad stuff happened. But it’s gonna continue to happen. You have to be prepared for that. Especially since both of you idiots seem to enjoy cohabitating,” Kenny implores, staring down into defeated sea green eyes. 

“Look, you aren’t the only one I’ve been laying into. Lee has gotten an earful himself, but he’s about as stubborn as I am, and if I know me, that fucker wouldn't budge if a train were barreling toward him. I am asking you to be the smart one here.”

“Kenny, I don’t know what more I can do. I can’t control it,” the wolf replies tightly.

“You’re going to need to. It’s been almost two years and while most wouldn’t bother lookin’ for ya at this point, I know those rat bastard Marian’s still will. You might have randomly bounced around and covered your tracks well, but you haven’t trained worth a damn, you’re flighty and paranoid, and on top of that you can turn into a brainless and dangerous mutt without warning.”

Kenny lets go of his hair and ruffles it. “That fact that you didn’t know you could shift is dangerous, and that’s on me. I shoulda told you. I… shouldn’t’ve let you wander out into the world alone. That’s on me too. But if you are serious about Levi, and serious about keeping this life, you have to learn to shift, on _your _terms. It could be helpful to not only keep other people safe, but you too. If you can apply that Were’ strength with what you already know, you’d be a force to be reckoned with, brat.”__

__“...I wish I had guidelines, an instruction manual, fucking _something_ …” Eren grits out. Kenny removes his knee and helps pull him up into a seated position on the mat. _ _

__“Unfortunately, my expertise with wolves lies only with how to kill them, among other things. N' you might be the only wolf here in the city for all we know. They don’t typically tread here. For obvious reasons.”_ _

__“Which make it both an easy and more difficult place for me to hide out,” Eren grumbles._ _

__“They are gonna find you, either way, it’s a matter of time. Get that ‘hiding’ shit outta your head. You made the decision to be here, own it. You have something more than just yourself to fight for now. You need to fan that flame that I know you have inside you. You are a wild thing Eren. You always have been, and you’ve been kept in a cage for so long that you don’t know what being free feels like. You don’t understand how to shift because you don’t know what it feels like to not have it forced on you. Y’gotta, find that spark. Like… really dig deep and search inside.”_ _

__“Levi suggested trying to meditate on it.”_ _

__“He’s not wrong, it could work, if you knew what to look for.”_ _

__“Sometimes, I get this feeling, in my chest. It’s like an itch I can’t scratch.”_ _

__“What else does it feel like?”_ _

__“Like… like a geyser with a lid over it, a build of up pressure… waiting to burst forth, but every time I try to focus on it, it’s like it was never there at all.”_ _

__“Does it scare you?”_ _

__“...Sometimes. Especially now, since I’ve been having even more nightmares.”_ _

__“What about?”_ _

__“That night.”_ _

__Kenny nods in understanding._ _

__“I… keep seeing his face as he laid against me. And then… I feel dread, watching as Kitz closes in, and in that moment… it felt like death was upon me. And I was so angry. So hurt… then everything whited out.”_ _

__“Eren, you did your best. Even... with as fucked up as you were at the time, you didn’t harm a single hair on mine or your friends' heads. I think you’re dangerous, but, sometimes that can be a good thing. We both need to set aside fear, by working through it. It’s the only way. The brave are only considered as such by doing what?”_ _

__“...Facing fear.”_ _

__“And that’s what you’ve gotta do. Find something to focus on. I think… maybe, don’t quote me on this, but MAYBE, Levi was …right.”_ _

__“What was that?” Eren asks as if he hadn’t heard him._ _

__Kenny sighs. “Levi was ...right.”_ _

__Eren grins just then, eyeing something behind Kenny, to which the older man tenses up._ _

__“He’s behind us, isn’t he?” Eren gives Kenny a shit-eating grin, “oh for fuck's sake…” the other man swivels around. “Damn you and your light ass feet, I swear… you practically glide instead of walk.”_ _

__Levi quirks a brow. “Are you done hazing my boyfriend yet?” he asks testily._ _

__“Tch… shitty brats, the both of you. First, you’re all ‘he’s not my boooyfriend, bluh, bluh… whine, whine’,” Kenny gestures with his hands, “now you’re over here waving banners n' shit. Banners that are, for the record, _late_ to the fuckin’ party. I knew you were boyfriends before it was cool.”_ _

__“I will literally remove you if you don’t remove yourself,” Levi threatens._ _

__Kenny huffs, hoisting himself up and off of Eren. “Ingrates…” the older man mutters, stalking over to the other side of the room to put up his weapons._ _

__Levi leans down, offering a hand that Eren gratefully takes, and pulls him up to his feet. “Sorry about him.”_ _

__“Heard all that, did you?” Eren asks, to which Levi nods, “... well,” he continues, “he wasn’t wrong.”_ _

__“Maybe not, but he is an asshole. Don’t stress about me. I can handle myself.”_ _

__Eren stares at the padded floor, obviously conflicted. Levi takes his cheeks into his hands and pulls him close, searching the darkening depths of Eren's stormy eyes. “I mean it. Kenny says stupid shit when he gets overprotective, and he forgets that I’m not a fucking child anymore.”_ _

__Eren closes his eyes as he presses his forehead against Levi’s, the dark circles beneath them are striking with their proximity. “I want to keep you safe,” he admits._ _

__“Then we’ll do just that, but we’ll keep each other safe. Just as we have been,” Levi reaffirms._ _

__Eren nods against Levi’s forehead tiredly. Relishing in the contact, he breathes him in._ _

__“Boyfriend, huh?” Eren whispers between them. Levi gives him a shrug in response. The younger man smiles in delight, he closes the remaining distance between them, peppering Levi’s pliant lips with soft sweet kisses. “I could get used to that,” he whispers against what he swore were magic laced lips._ _

__“Hey Edward, if you n' Jacob over there could find another tent, that’d be fucking great,” Kenny hollers sarcastically._ _

__Levi gives a long-suffering sigh between them before breaking apart. “You had to make it weird.”_ _

__“I _live_ for weird, and you have to admit, that was oddly fitting,” the older man replies with a laugh._ _

__Levi levels his gaze with Eren’s, “there is still time to back out of this shit show, I wouldn’t blame you.”_ _

__Sea green eyes shine back at him, full of affection, as Eren leans down and pecks the witch’s nose. “Not a chance. If you could deal with my crazy, I can deal with yours.”_ _

__“He’s a real keeper, once you get past the wet dog smell,” Kenny teases._ _

__“But...I will say this… your crazy can be insufferable.” Eren kids._ _

__“We’ve learned to accept that he’s the reason we keep shovels, just in case,” Levi reasons._ _

__A few hours later, found both men upstairs in the shop, after already having showered and gotten ready for the rest of the day. Levi busied himself by flitting around the store helping Hanji and Isabel with transactions or item searches. Thankfully this establishment only drew in a certain clientele. Most of which were pleasant and understanding if they were made to wait, but today was the 30th, and one day before Samhain and this place was jumping._ _

__Eren was fascinated, watching all the purchases going out the door. Most of which were, candles; mainly black or orange one, teas of every variety, typical autumn decor, incense, herbs of all kinds, tiny cauldrons, and books. The bakery wasn’t doing too badly either, sales of traditional breads, pumpkin 'flavored' -just about everything, autumnal fruits, remembrance cookies and what Levi had called ‘Soul Cakes’; which Eren thought were really good, sold quickly._ _

__He knew holidays like this existed and even paralleled most Christian holidays, but he’d never actually experienced Halloween in this way before, it was definitely interesting to observe. Whereas a traditional Halloween meant running around neighborhoods dressed as pretty much whatever, binge eating candy and watching horror films until you passed out from a sugar-induced crash; Samhain, when explained to him, depicted something much more meaningful._ _

__It represented life as it came full circle. Celebrating death, remembering loved ones long gone, honoring them, and the changing of the seasons. All in all, it sounded a lot less creepy than most would depict it as. It actually sounded reasonably cathartic and well rounded. Eren supposed that every culture and religion had their ways of coping with loss, but this one seemed particularly nice. It was also very similar to the 'Day of the Dead' celebrations that Hispanic cultures celebrated. It goes to show that people aren’t all that different from one another. Eren was curious to see it for himself but didn’t want to impose. He knew he and Levi had something between them but didn’t want to just assume he’d be let in on something that sounded so private and personal._ _

__Gathering his things together, he intended on going to his classes today and dropping his things off at his apartment. Levi often joked that he practically lived there and while that was true; and the raven didn’t seem to mind, he didn’t want to come off as smothering, either. He caught Levi’s eye and the pair met each other halfway across the store._ _

__“You leaving?” Levi asked, trying not to sound disappointed._ _

__“Just for now, I’m actually going to attend my classes, like a _proper_ student today, and I’m in dire need of … clothes,” he gestures to his backpack lamely._ _

__“Fair enough, are you coming back later on?”_ _

__Eren didn’t want to seem too elated, so he toned his response down, “Are you sure? It seems busy here, and I know this holiday is significant for you and your uncle.”_ _

__“Kenny is actually leaving for Mitras here in a bit. I guess he wanted to spend the sabbat with Maman at the house. I can’t leave because of the shop and we’re staying open until about six tomorrow night, but you’re always welcome, Eren, you should know that.”_ _

__“I do,” Eren replies, “I just didn't want to intrude on something important to you.”_ _

__Levi rolls his eyes, “the irony of that statement is astounding, considering. However, while I appreciate the sentiment, you are just as important, don’t make it weird by finding random ass reasons to put distance between us. If I wanted space, I’d tell you. ...unless you want space?”_ _

__“Never,” He blurts abruptly, turning about 20 shades redder. “I mean, yeah, no, I’m cool, we’re cool,” he supplies lamely._ _

__Levi gives him a wicked smirk, that Eren had no doubt was genetic. “Real smooth there, Jaeger.”_ _

__Eren’s arms do a weird flail in defeat and settle at his thighs. “I’m socially awkward, I don’t know what you even expected.”_ _

__“You’re right, what was I thinking?” Levi replies, coming closer._ _

__“Probably about cleaning supplies?” Eren ventures playfully._ _

__“Not even going to deny that.”_ _

__Eren flashes him a charming smile and gives him a soft kiss goodbye, “I’ll see you tonight?”_ _

__“Tonight,” the witch confirms._ _

__Eren gives his cheek one last fleeting caress and makes his way out into town._ _

__The fine hairs on the back of Levi’s neck immediately prickle as he’s bum rushed from behind and whisked into the kitchen like a tiny, angsty, doll._ _

__“What, the _actual_ fuck, guys?” Levi gripes at being manhandled into a chair._ _

__“Details,” Isabel demands._ _

__“We want them now,” Hanji agrees._ _

__“No,” Levi says plainly, making to stand up before being tugged back into place._ _

__“NO?!” The pair of them wails._ _

__“Yeah, no,” the raven confirms, in case they didn’t hear him the first fucking time._ _

__“Leeeeeviiiii,” Hanji whines._ _

__“Brooo, C'mon, tell us.”_ _

__“OR,” Hanji begins, as a crazed glint that Levi did not like at all appeared in their eyes, “we will ask Eren.”_ _

__“Fuckmylife…” Levi mutters giving them a long-suffering sigh. He was so done with everyone being a busybody, couldn’t they just let him live?_ _

__“Gimmie,” Hanji pouts expectantly._ _

__“...what do you want to know?” Levi relents because frankly, he didn’t want to spend the day tied to a chair._ _

___“Howlong?”_  
“Whendidthishappen?”  
“AreyouguysfuckingorisKennyfullofshit?”  
“What,noLevidoesn’tdothat”  
“Howwasyourfirstkiss?” 

__“One. At. A Fucking TIME, please,” Levi retorts._ _

__“Who kissed who?” Isabel asks._ _

__“It was mutually reciprocated.”_ _

__“When did it happen?” Hanji asks with a grin that was too lewd for comfort._ _

__“The other day, at the subway station.”_ _

__“Ooooo, PDA alert,” Hanji chimes._ _

__“Aweee,” Isabel coos. “So our little intervention idea turned into a date?”_ _

__“Of sorts, but yes.”_ _

__“That is seriously adorable, Bro,” Izzy replies with sincerity._ _

__“Aaah~ young love, I remember my fir-”_ _

__“FUCK NO,” Levi interjects, “I do not want to know what kind of saucy shit you and Eyebrows get up to. Ever. At all.”_ _

__“Aww,” they pout pathetically._ _

__“Seriously though, Levi, I’m so happy for you both, why didn’t you say anything?” Isabel asks._ _

__“Because A, it’s not anyone’s business and my uncle is shitty enough about it, and B, because…” he shrugs, “we didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, it is what it is, and we’re happy with our dynamic,” Levi replies._ _

__“Awee~” Hanji coos, “they have a dynamic.”_ _

__Levi rolls his eyes. “Now can I please get up? This isn’t a fucking Walmart, I have customers to attend to.”_ _

__“Fiiiiine,” Hanji relents, letting the raven up._ _

__Levi extracts himself from their hold and makes his way out to the front of the shop, where he sees his uncle handling a customer. Gods, the man was shameless. Levi drug the palms of his hands down his face in exasperation. He really hoped Eren had a thing for the 'salt n' pepper' look, cause he was sure to have greys if not sooner than later._ _

__“If it’s not one thing, it’s another,” he mutters to himself. Upon further inspection, he approaches the pair. This woman was a regular of his, and a really sweet woman, by the name of Petra Ral. He sure as shit didn’t need his uncle corrupting her._ _

__“This old codger isn’t bothering you, is he?” Levi jests._ _

__“Levi! It’s good to see you,” Petra greets him, “your uncle was just giving me some tips on bonfire rituals, I wanted to try and do one this year.”_ _

__Levi nods, Petra was new to her path, having only been practicing the craft for 2 years. She would often come into ‘the Kettle’ to try new things, more often than not, she ended up asking Levi for advice, as she didn’t have a coven. Not that Levi really did either, but he guessed his family was 'technically' his coven. They didn’t practice together much anymore, having branched out and scattered, but they did make an effort to come together for the solstices and equinoxes. This would be the first year that Levi wasn’t going home for Samhain._ _

__“You’re Wiccan, right?” He asks._ _

__Petra gives him a nervous smile, her cheeks red, “yes, I’m a practicing Wiccan,” she replies._ _

__“Well, according to their rede, as long as you don’t burn Elder, and you mind the wind currents, you should be fine,” Levi advises. “The weather for tomorrow night should be perfect, if not a little cool.”_ _

__“Right, thank you, both of you,” Petra gives both Ackerman’s a shy smile. “I’ll, leave you both to it, I’m going to browse a little more,” the woman states before kindly taking her leave._ _

__“Heading home?” Levi comments._ _

__Kenny gives him a nod. “You sure you’re sittin’ this one out?”_ _

__“I’d hate to close the shop for an entire day, on what might be the busiest day for a while, until Yule.”_ _

__“Fair enough, who knew you’d become such an entrepreneur?”_ _

__“Maman didn’t raise a thug, you know.”_ _

__“I feel like in another life, it’d have been oddly fitting. You'd probably pull some Robin Hood bullshit, that or you’d surprise us both and go a military route.”_ _

__“I feel like in another life, you’d be even more insufferable.”_ _

__“Count those blessings, LeeLee,” Kenny gives him a grin, ruffling his hair into a mess, ignoring Levi’s sour expression. “I might not be back for a while,” Kenny tells him. “Can you hold down the fort?”_ _

__“Considering this is my fort, yes.”_ _

__“Alright, alright,” Kenny placates, “just making sure.”_ _

__“Eren will be fine.”_ _

__“I didn’t say anything about that,” he gripes._ _

__“You didn’t have to. I will be fine, too.”_ _

__“...I know you will. Your Maman just worries.”_ _

__“I think you have that backwards, _Oncle, Maman_ is the one that lets me live freely, you on the other hand like to pretend you’re not a worry wart, but you are one to the core.”_ _

__Kenny is oddly silent as he regards his nephew. In some aspects, the kid was more like a son, in an odd way. He just couldn’t help but feel protective of the kid. What Kuchel went through as a teenager, what Levi went through after he was born, he couldn’t _not_ be protective of them. _ _

__Now he had two bratty kids to look after, he just hoped the both of them would be ok. “You’re coming home for Yule, right?”_ _

__“I’ll be there,” Levi confirms._ _

__“Bring the kid, yeah? Your Maman would love to meet him.”_ _

__“Goddess knows it’d be a nightmare if I didn't bring him, Maman would probably pack herself a suitcase and march us all back here.”_ _

__“Yeaaah, she would,” Kenny replies with a grin before sobering. “If anything happens, call me, I’ll be here in a blink, I don’t care what time.”_ _

__“You’ll be the first to know.”_ _

__“Atta, boy,” Kenny replies, invading Levi’s space and wrapping him in a firm embrace. After letting him go, Kenny gives him a wicked grin, and a wink._ _

__Levi knew he was about to do something stupidly flashy, and that something was confirmed as one of his bookcases rippled, the older man hoists his bag onto his shoulder, gives him a mock salute and disappears from sight, leaving a few of his lesser 'informed' customers thoroughly confused. Levi; having rolled his eyes, didn’t deign to acknowledge their questioning stares._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank all of you again for continuing to read and leave kudos~  
> Although I'm mainly writing this for myself, I appreciate any and all feedback.  
> You guys are great!


	13. Of Fur and Fang

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “WHOA, whoa, whoa! Hey, no! Wait!” The man began to plead, trembling slightly as Eren forced his blade tighter against his throat. It was burning the both of them, but Eren elected to ignore this.
> 
> “You’d better have a good excuse for following me”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to become less fluffy, y'all.

Farlan Church liked to think that he was a pretty easy going guy, maybe one with slightly dubious morals, but easy going no less. He certainly wasn’t the type of person to go around looking for trouble, especially considering most things wanted to skewer him alive _slowly_ ...maybe with kabob sticks, but he wasn’t unreasonable! He could see _why_ they would want to.

Vampires weren’t typically known for being the cuddly or friendly bunch! He was definitely an odd-ball out in the social standing of things. Hell, his best friends growing up were a spunky human and an emotionally constipated half-breed, and rather than keep said half-breed as a pet and eat said human, he loved them both! 

Especially going as far as wanting to _marry_ said human one day. 

Point being, while yes, he was a vampire and therefore cursed with a bad rap, regardless of how mushy he was as a person, and while the sun did make his skin feel like there were millions of molten spiders skittering beneath it, and while he did have a particular fondness for blood and an intense aversion to Italian foods, he didn’t feel like he _deserved_ this in the slightest.

It started off as any normal week would. 

The very insane uncle; of said half-breed, had put him up to the task of making a delivery. Seeing as Farlan was terrified of this insane uncle, and respected the more-sane sister of the said man, he was willing to do whatever they’d asked of him. Beside’s what could go wrong? It was like delivering a pizza, right? 

Wrong. 

Crazed-uncle skimped on the details, _a lot._

Farlan didn’t ask what was in the box he was delivering when he delivered it. He didn’t ask whom he was delivering it to, all he knew was that this task led him to procure more and more boxes to be delivered all over Sina, to which ultimately led him all over Rose, to which dumped him here in Trost. And while Trost was usually lovely by day, by night it was unkind, like every other urban city. 

During his random tasks; crazed-uncle having given him the all-clear via phone call, said he was doing great, said it wouldn’t be too long now before his task was done, he’d stumbled upon something highly awkward and equally highly dangerous. In retrospect, when making deliveries for someone like Kenny Ackerman, he should have anticipated that things would go south.

He was in the middle of his last delivery, the client was an Orc, they typically weren’t the coziest of people either, but hey, who was he to judge? Business was business. Until it wasn’t. Said establishment was actually undergoing a permanent change in management. 

Aka: hunters; dozens of them, were in the process of clearing out this Orc nest and while Farlan didn’t particularly like Orcs, he didn’t hate them either and he wasn’t an asshole, so he took this as one would take a bar fight and acted accordingly. If not to lend a neighbor a helping hand, then to save his own hind-end. Because you could imagine; a room full of violent Orcs and hunters caught in a huge brawl. Now imagine them all stopping long enough to peer in confusion at this random ass vampire that suddenly appeared. You could imagine what kind of a shit show that turned out to be. 

Fast forward, past said bloody shit-show of a brawl, Farlan was currently being hunted himself. Particularly by two of the most tenacious hunter’s he’d seen in a long time. Rather than alert his best friend to his misfortune and involve any more innocent people, Farlan was currently attempting to throw the hunters off his trail. 

They were a tireless bunch, pushing him to near ‘dehydration,’ well past the point of how much exposure to the sun a vampire could take, and just being all around douchebags by not letting him get a moment's rest. Any headway he gained was cut in half due to their persistence and while he knew hunters could be ornery on a good day, he felt like this behavior was seriously excessive. 

The hunters in Sina were lazy asses, the hunters in Rose, were a little less so, but ultimately understood that humans weren’t the only living beings on the planet. These assholes had to have been _Marian_ hunters, only they would exude this level of intensity while on a hunt. 

Neck deep in shit, tired from overexposure, and out of options, he took off to a college campus for shelter. Surely they wouldn’t chase him this far, right? They’d have to be insane to openly hunt around so many people. 

Although, being around so many people in his current state of ill repair left something to be desired for him as well. But, he liked to think he had the self-restraint of a Buddhist monk, so he was fairly sure he’d be alright here, for a few hours at least. He situated himself in the library, it was mostly quiet, tucked away, and he would at least have something to pass the time with. 

That is, until a peculiarly mixed scent caught his attention.

Eren was in high spirits when he left today. It had actually felt good to get back to his usual routine, which usually consisted of him going to school, going home to relax for a bit, and then heading down to ‘The Pot and Kettle’ to spend time with Levi, Iz, and Hanji. Now that he and Levi had a change of pace, he suspected that a new routine was on the rise, and he honestly felt really excited about it. 

It was a thrill that left him feeling whole and naked at the same time. 

He’d been on a handful of outings with would-be potentials, but he’d only ever had 1 official date and seeing as it didn’t turn out so well, he didn’t have much to go on. But with Levi, everything felt so natural, like they didn’t have to express to each other in so many words how they were feeling. They read one another well, from expressions to body language, and as Eren was steadily becoming more familiar with, the _energy_ they exuded.

He didn’t know if it was a wolf thing or a witch thing, maybe even just a Levi thing, but Eren could be standing across the room with his back turned whilst being heavily distracted and still, he could feel Levi. He’d never had this with anyone before, even Mikasa and Armin were harder for Eren to discern, but still, it struck him with awe at how well he and the witch meshed. 

Honestly, if it were any other time or with any other person, Eren would have been terrified about fucking things up, but that wasn’t the case here. He and Levi agreed to take this at whatever pace they were both comfortable with, there was no pressure, no contracts, just a silent agreement that suited them both. It was both comforting and exciting at the same time. 

With a smile in place, Eren soon found himself at the library, he was here to return several books he'd borrowed. Aside from the occasional show on Netflix, Eren found that books, apart from hanging out with his friends, became his favorite pastime. 

“Back again, are we?” The kindly old librarian asks him.

“Oh, you know me. I go through books at the rate most people change their underwear.”

“Well, between us, let’s hope that that ratio is often,” the librarian quips, startling a laugh out of him.

“I’d be afraid if it weren’t,” Eren admits, he gives the woman a small smile before taking his leave. He wanted to find something else to pass the time with. 

Soon the wolf found himself in the fiction section, looking for any title that caught his eye. He was so engrossed in his task, he didn’t realize his body was giving him warning signals until he felt himself shudder at a sudden chill. Looking around himself, he didn’t find anything abnormal in appearance. Nothing that stuck out, so reluctantly, he wrote it off. 

As soon as Eren left the library that afternoon, he’d felt _weird._ Retracing his steps through his mind's eye, he found that everything seemed alright at the shop, he was in high spirits. Everything around him was seemingly normal. The people on the subway to this side of town were aloof and/or pleasant, his classes were going well, but still. It felt like pinpricks on the back of his neck, like eyes were watching him, despite him not seeing anything out of the ordinary. 

However, Eren knew from experience that ‘ordinary’ was subjective and if this ‘spidey-sense’ he was getting was indicative of anything, he knew it could be nothing good. So he played his part. He stuck to his guns and acted completely normal. He made small talk with classmates and his professors and went about his day as if nothing were bothering him at all. 

As soon as his last class was dismissed he followed the flow of people milling around, purposefully cutting into groups and taking corners at random. Backtracking his way around the campus, he was dropped back out into the student parking area. He opted to take his motorcycle today rather than wait on the subway and he was suddenly glad he had.

Though the intensity of the feeling he’d had earlier lessened as the day progressed, he still didn’t feel comfortable going home or to Levi’s shop just yet. It’d been awhile since he had to play hide n’ seek with hunters, but somehow, this felt different. This didn’t feel human. He opted to drive around town at random and as time went on, he felt less and less scrutinized. 

Maybe it was nothing after all? 

He pulled up to an Italian restaurant; to stop long enough to shoot Levi a text, telling him he'd be a little late, when he got that feeling again. The pinpricks on the back of his neck. He decided that after feeling this way all day, there was no longer any sense in running. Whatever this was, it was persistent and could travel great distances in a short amount of time. His only option now was a good offense. Parking his Ducati more properly, he takes off his helmet, briefly surveying the area. Next to the restaurant was a dark alley and if that wasn’t the most cliche hiding place, he didn’t know what was. 

Instead of going head first into battle, he opted to survey a little longer, maybe even draw his stalker out. He wasn’t that hungry, but for the purpose of appearances he wanders inside and orders some food. Not long after he’s sat, a tall lanky-looking blond man, with pale blue eyes and equally pale skin steps inside and Eren is on high alert again. 

This was definitely the guy. 

He didn’t know why, or how he knew, but something about him just suggested he follow his instincts. This seemingly innocuous man was throwing his senses into high gear and for the life of him, he couldn’t understand why. He appeared to be around his age range, maybe a little older, but he’d never seen him before, either in Shiganshina or Marley. For all intents, he was a stranger, so why would he be following him?

From the corner of his eye, he watched as a waitress sat the man, he declined any food but, settled on water. Eren was beginning to form a hunch that he really didn’t care for. Finishing his food, he paid and tipped his server and stood to leave. Feigning looking for his wallet, he caught the blonds eye. Giving him a small disarming smile and polite gesture, he grabbed his wallet and made his way outside. 

That guy was definitely the one stalking him. There was too much recognition in his gaze to suggest otherwise, so Eren slipped into the shadows to lie in wait. A few moments passed before he heard movement in the alley. He was hidden behind an air conditioning unit, in hopes that it’d cover the sound of his pulse with it’s humming, but if this creatures’ hearing were anything like his own, he’d hear him soon enough. It was either strike now or be struck, so as soon as he heard the slightest of footsteps approach, Eren lunged. 

Pulling a silver bladed knife from the holster near his waistband, he lunged forward, rushing the man and slamming him hard into the brick building behind him. The man beneath him gave a yelp in surprise. The sharpened blade locked firmly, biting at the now startled man’s neck. Eren could tell his eyes were glowing as his field of vision became clearer and his jaw began to ache in accommodation of his elongating canines. 

“WHOA, whoa, whoa! Hey, no! Wait!” The man began to plead, trembling slightly as Eren forced his blade tighter against his throat. It was burning the both of them, but Eren elected to ignore this.

“You’d better have a good excuse for following me”

“Please! I can explain, just ...not here!”

“The hell kind of request is that to make? You’ve been stalking me for hours, if you wanted to meet in a place that wasn’t an alley, that’s _your_ damn problem!”

“Look, look, I know what this might seem like, but it isn’t that, okay?”

Eren’s glare in response was less than pleased, his voice was a low growl as he replied: “you have 2 seconds to start explaining before I start _carving._ ”

“Jesus,” the guy gasps out, clearly trying not to exhale so much as he speaks, “okay, okay, look, I’m being hunted, alright?”

“I’ve heard that one before, it didn’t end well,” Eren retorts tightly.

“God… okay, I get it but, hear me out. I’ve had one hell of a week and I certainly don’t want my throat cut out by some mutt with anger issues!” The man grits his teeth as Eren presses harder, the smell of blood making both of them tense. “Okay, okay, my bad, bad form. I have anger issues too, see? Something in common!”

“You’re digging a bigger hole for yourself than I could, keep talking shit, pal.”

“Hunters, okay! There are hunters in the area, they’ve been tracking me for 3 days.”

“Fuck…” Eren grits.

“N-not just any hunters either, most of the ones around here are…” he waves slightly “devil may care? But these ones are from Maria!”

“You have got to be kidding me…” the wolf growls, clearly displeased.

“Look, it’s a nightmare, I know, but…”

“WHY?” Eren barks.

“W-what?” The blond man blinks in confusion.

“Listen, stake-bait, I am running low on patience here, if there are hunters after you, why the fuck would you follow _me_?” 

“Honestly?” He asks as though embarrassed. 

“Preferably,” the wolf deadpans.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you smelled familiar, where I come from familiar is _safe_ ,” the guy admits, his cheeks heating with embarrassment.

Eren sighs heavily before removing the knife, he quickly deposits it back into its holster. Letting go of the guy's shirt, he drops him right onto his ass and begins to examine his own steaming hand. That was definitely going to take a minute to heal. “How far out are they?”

The vampire was clearly confused by his change of demeanor as he stood up on shaky feet. “Probably minutes, if not already in the area.”

“How did you even get onto their radar, Marian’s usually only go after outliers.”

“Um,” he hesitates “probably because of a parcel I was carrying, that was directly linked to someone who was definitely on their radar a few years ago. That and ...I kinda broke up a raid, allowing several Orcs to escape unharmed,” he gives a rather unapologetic shrug.

Eren palms his face in exasperation. “Great... great, an anemic vein muncher with a martyr complex, that is right up their alley.”

“Stuff it Pongo, I was just doing what was right.”

“Doing that might just have cost us _both._ ”

The blond scoffs, brushing the dirt off of himself. “At least I can sleep at night without a guilty conscience.”

“Must be nice,” Eren mutters, “let’s go.”

“W-wait, really?”

“Did I stutter?”

“No, but… you just don’t seem like the type of person that would help out a guy like me.”

“Look,” he eyes him carefully, “ _I’m_ not even sure what type of person I am anymore. But I do know… that the world needs more martyrs,” Eren admits. 

“You won’t regret this!” The blond beams at him and Eren is suddenly reminded of Isabel.

“We’ll see about that,” Eren replies tersely. Just as he leads the man to the entrance of the alley he feels more pinpricks from behind him, turning ever so slightly, both him and the blond notice two figures approaching at the other end of the alley. 

“That’s them…” the man mutters hopelessly.

Eren’s golden eyes narrow, clearly making out the figures of none other than Hitch and Marlow. Of all the hunters that this guy could have come across, he just HAD to incite the wrath of Nile Dok’s pets. “We have to go, now. They won’t show mercy.”

Before the guy could even question that statement, Eren was pulling him out of the alley and onto the open sidewalk, throwing himself onto his Ducati, he starts it quickly and gives the engine a rev. Throwing his helmet back at the confused vampire, he gestures for him to get on. The man quickly follows suit and soon the both of them were zooming down the street.

Eren’s hair whips in the wind as they drive, occasionally glancing over his shoulder. His adrenaline was in full swing as he continued to weave around other vehicles. Suddenly he was really glad he wound up on this side of town, if he rode straight through the bodega strip, he’d lose whatever tails were trailing them and that’s exactly what he did. It was a straight shot to either his place or Levi’s shop from here, but there was no way in hell that he was taking this guy there. His only option, for now, was his place, and if that was no longer safe, he’d drive straight to his safe house near Karanese. 

Driving up to his building, he drove down into the underground garage, tucking his bike in between two trucks. Allowing the other man to get off first, he drops the kickstand and hops off himself. The vampire silently hands him the helmet. Eren walks the both of them to the stairwell, unlocking it by key. 

He lived in a quaint building, nothing extravagant, but the one reason Eren chose this particular complex was that it was locked at all times. If you didn't have a key, you would have to be buzzed in by a resident. Having cased this place before leasing, Eren took note that most of the people that lived here were private and hardly had visitors. All leasings were done by approved appointments and all potential residents had to have background checks. This lessened the chance of someone who wasn’t supposed to be there being let into the building. For the price of this comfort alone, Eren would have paid much more than he was paying now, but thankfully the rent was reasonable. 

With the vampire trailing close behind him, he took the stairs to the second floor. There was an elevator, but Eren hated being in cramped spaces with strangers for too long. Once he reached the second-floor landing, he walked 5 doors down and pulled the key from his coat pocket. 

Walking in, he deposited his backpack and coat and made his way into the kitchen. It seemed like as good a place as any to collect himself. 

His apartment was; to be frank, bare. He mostly attributed this to only having been here for 5 months, but it was also because he wasn’t used to permanence. He lived his life from a suitcase before settling here and while he had basic furniture and necessities, his home lacked a personal touch. He didn’t feel the need to add any either, considering it wasn’t often that he was here. While it was a joke initially, no one was kidding when they said he’d basically lived at ‘The Kettle.’ 

Isabel on one occasion even offered him a room at her place, telling him to ditch his apartment and save himself money, but he politely declined. At the time he didn’t think it was safe, not for him, but for her. That fact was even more enforced now that he knew his shifting ability was unpredictable. It would absolutely break him if he hurt her, especially over something like a nightmare or a flashback. It was bad enough having that reaction once with Levi and he could handle himself, but Isabel was human. There was no way he’d forgive himself if he hurt her by accident or otherwise.

Clearing his thoughts, he grabs a cold drink of water from the fridge, downing half. The vampire stood awkwardly on the other side of the nook, clearly out of his element. “I’d offer you a drink, but I think we both know that’s moot,” Eren supplies.

“Oh… um, yeah, I suppose it is,” he replies, with an awkward laugh, "is this your place?”

“For now,” Eren replies curtly. After today he might not have a choice in the matter. Not with Hitch and Marlow lurking around town. Those two were always way too pleased to impress their commanding officer and Nile was just sadistic enough to let them do what they pleased. Eren couldn’t stand them, even when he was a hunter himself. 

“Can I ask you something?” The other man starts.

“You just did, but sure, why not,” he really was in a foul mood now. It was a shame really. It wasn’t even as if this guy was all that bad either, maybe the rumors about vampires and werewolves held some truth after all? 

“Why silver? You have a silver knife, yet you’re a…” he gestures with his hand lamely.

“Werewolf?”

“Yeah,” the blond replies.

“Those hunters in the alley, let’s just say I used to be a lot more acquainted with them,” Eren replies with honesty.

“I knew it!” The guy replies, clearly pleased with himself, “I knew those moves weren’t any normal self-defense. You're a hunter, or were...”

“Quick on the draw, there,” Eren replies with measured sarcasm.

“I don’t get it though, why help me? I mean… I get why you’d help yourself, clearly, for obvious reasons, but… you didn’t kill me.”

“Should I have?”

The vampire remained silent.

“Look… I have my own shit to deal with, but… I guess you could say I’m something of a martyr myself. The only reason I even came at you like I did was because I could feel you… watching me, all day. It was… unnerving.”

“Yeah,” he scratches the back of his head, “sorry about that. I know it was weird. But I honestly didn’t know what else to do. I have friends in this area, but I didn’t want to involve them and put them at risk, and I saw you there in the library at TU and I dunno…”

Eren eyes him as he explains himself, feeling himself relax a bit more. Unlike with Zeke, this time around he could hear the sincerity in this guy’s pulse.

“You’re a pureblood, aren’t you?” He asks curiously. Only purebloods had a pulse.

“Yeah, yeah I am, and you’re… curseborn?”

Eren averts his gaze, staring at his glaringly blank wall, “I thought I was, these days I don’t know what I am.”

The vampire nods, whether in understanding or to be polite, he didn’t know.

“So… I have another question,” the blond says again.

“Go for it,” Eren relents, taking another drink from his water bottle.

“I said earlier that I had friends around this area, I was just wondering, because I wasn’t lying earlier when I said you smelled familiar…” he trails off. Eren gives him his undivided attention and he continues. “Once you get around the obvious canine smell, you smell like my friend Levi.”

Eren found himself reaching for his blade on instinct and he could tell this guy knew that because he threw his hands up in a placating manner. “Easy now, I mean no harm. I haven’t been stalking you for long, I was just curious. My friend owns a teashop on the other end of town, his uncle was actually the person that sent me on the wild goose chase that led me here.”

“Fucking Kenny…” Eren growls to himself.

The vampire heaves a sigh of relief. “Oh good, you do know him then.”

“I do," he confirms with reluctance, "But Levi never mentioned having a vampire for a friend.”

“Should he have had to?” The blond retorts, sounding offended.

“No, who he keeps as friends are his business, I just happen to know he doesn’t have much love for them, is all.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” the other man agrees, deflating somewhat. “Although if we’re on the subject, he never mentioned keeping a werewolf for a pet, either,” the guy teases.

Eren snorts despite himself, “Fair enough.” He sizes the guy up for a few more seconds before continuing, “I have a question of my own.”

“Sure, anything,” the blond replies in earnest. 

“What’s your name?”

The vampire perks up at that, holding out a hand in offering, “ Farlan Church, and you?”

“Tch, it figures…” Eren shakes his head despite himself. Leave it to him to find and save the ass of one of the most important people in his boyfriend’s life. Looking up he sees the man still hanging there, slightly confused, he cuts him some slack and shakes his hand politely. “I’m Eren.”

Upon receiving a blinding smile that rivals Isabel’s own, Eren knew this was the start of something interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for random tid-bits!
> 
> Eren uses a false name to attend school and for legal purposes and that is: Micha (My-kah) Rosenberg. For the sake of this story, Rosenberg would have been Carla's maiden name and if she hadn't settled on Eren, she would have named him Micha. 
> 
> Eren's spare room is littered with weapons. some of which he had already, some of which he acquired during his travels. Most of them are made from silver, despite the hardship he endures from handling them, he knows that they are the most effective protection he has. 
> 
> Also not sure if you've figured it out yet, some of you seemed unsure of what he is, but regardless of that, Levi's heritage tends to favor his mother. Which is why he considers himself a witch and nothing else. But there is a name for what he is, I'm curious if you guys know. ;D
> 
> Drop me a comment and let me know what's on your mind!
> 
> Thanks again for reading!


	14. Of Fur and Fang (Part Two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Do you mind if I pick your brain a bit?” the wolf queries.
> 
> “Not at all,” the blond replies earnestly.
> 
> “Okay… don’t laugh though. And whatever I ask, just know I don’t mean any offense, I’m still kinda new to the flip side of things. I don’t want to come off as a dick,” Eren warns.
> 
> “With a best friend like Levi, I’ve become immune to dickish comments, so go wild,” Farlan grins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if you guys received multiple notification emails for this chapter, ao3 kind of completely spazzed out on me in the process of making this chapter and I also almost completely lost all of its content. DX
> 
> /clutches my chest.  
> I 'bout had a heart attack lol. 
> 
> In any case, please enjoy!

“Sorry, for earlier,” Eren murmurs. Having wrapped his own hand he took to tending to Farlan’s neck. Wounds made with silver took a while to heal when it came to werewolves and vampires, despite their accelerated healing factors.

“Dude, it’s fine,” Farlan assures him, sitting still under the wolf’s ministrations, “you don’t have to keep apologizing, I’d have done the same thing if I were in your position, especially considering your history.”

“Even so, if I’d known who you were it wouldn’t have even been a passing thought,” Eren replies, still feeling bad.

“You saved us both, I’m grateful. If getting nicked up is all we get tonight, I’d call that a win,” the blond insists.

Eren eyes him before giving him a series of small nods. “Fair point,” he eventually murmurs. He secures the bandage with medical tape and analyzes his work. Satisfied, he takes a step back.

“So, what now?” the vampire asks curiously.

Eren walks over to his window, peeking through the blinds as he eyes the street below. All seemed quiet. It was nearing 8 o’clock and the activity in this neighborhood was always low. But that didn’t mean they weren’t lurking. “Now, we wait,” Eren replies, “I told Levi I was coming back tonight, but honestly, I think it’d be best to lay low. While they might not have recognized me initially, they did see _you_ leave with me on my bike. That’s what they would most likely be looking for if they made it this far.” 

“I never even considered that. I really am glad I ran into you,” Farlan replies sincerely, “I did have a car I was using to drive from Sina to here. They probably tracked my license plate. It wasn’t until I tried to lay low that they came after me and I got separated from my vehicle.”

“They’re like vultures,” Eren explains, “they’ll use any means necessary to completely trap whatever they are hunting in their crosshairs. They exploit any weaknesses they know of. I’m guessing that they were bold enough to track you by daylight?”

“Yeah,” the blond admits, “I haven’t slept, let alone fed for 3 days. And while I’m not extremely blood deprived, the sunlight exposure didn’t exactly help my case.”

“I hate that,” Eren laments, “they’ve done it to me before, too. Chained me with silver and left me in a constant loop of regeneration. They do it to wear you down, I’m assuming it works the same way for you?”

“Yeah, basically. Whatever damage is inflicted while being exposed to the sun is usually taken care of by our healing factor, little spurts of light won’t do much damage to a pureblood like me, but if we’re low on blood and rest, it starts to take a toll. Sireling’s wouldn't have much hope at all in most cases. They’d burn up right on the spot,” the blond replies grimly.

Eren considers this, “that’s actually kind of interesting, terrible, but interesting. Forgive me if I come off as insensitive, I’m not as familiar with vampires as I am werewolves or other outliers,” he reveals, trying not to offend his guest.

“Not at all,” the blond concedes, “it makes sense. I honestly didn’t know wolves could live in cities.” 

“I’m kind of a special case, hiding in plain sight is kind of how I get by.”

“I’d say so, you’re doing a damn good job of it in any case.”

“Nah, I’ve probably just gotten lucky. Kenny wasn’t too pleased with how soft I’ve grown,” Eren dismisses his praise.

“Soft? You could have easily handed my ass to me on a silver platter and I probably would have thanked you for being so thoughtful,” Farlan laughs, “that doesn’t seem _soft_ to me.”

“Well, at least one of us thinks so,” Eren replies with a laugh of his own. “Although, now you’ve got me curious.”

“What about?” Farlan smiles, curling up with a cushion on Eren’s couch. The brunette steps away from the window and comes to join him on the other end. 

“Do you mind if I pick your brain a bit?” the wolf queries.

“Not at all,” the blond replies earnestly.

“Okay… don’t laugh though. And whatever I ask, just know I don’t mean any offense, I’m still kinda new to the flip side of things. I don’t want to come off as a dick,” Eren warns.

“With a best friend like Levi, I’ve become immune to dickish comments, so go wild,” Farlan grins.

Eren gives him a timid smile, “so, back to the sunlight thing; and while we’re on the subject of Levi, how does that work?”

“You mean why he isn't affected?” the blond asks.

“Well, kind of, I get how he’s not, but I always assumed it was because his mother is for all intents, human.”

“Ah, I see what you’re getting at. Well, to answer your question, yes it’s because of his mother, but that’s not entirely the reason either.” 

Eren eyes him curiously, so Farlan proceeds “Levi is what’s known as a Dhampir or a halfbreed. They also go by halfling’s and halfblood’s as well, but simply put Dhampirs are the product of a union between a vampire and a human. Dhampirs in some ways are a lot stronger than sirelings and even purebloods, like me. Purebloods have their most obvious vampiric abilities, some of which you probably already know about through novels, television, and movies.”

“Wait a second,” Eren injects briefly, “so some of the things in the media and pop culture are true?”

Farlan laughs to himself, “yes and no. Let's just say, back in… I’d say… as early as the 1700’s, we’ll use that as a starting point to their shenanigans. Vampire’s, as you might know, are pretty fucking _extra._ It’s odd if you find one that’s actually an introvert like the books depict. Vampires are overzealous attention whores that want to be loved and feared. I assume most of what was adapted in books, had to have come from them. It started off as folklore, I’m sure, but it was a bit oddly specific for humans to have come up with on their own.”

Eren laughs, shaking his head, “are you kidding me?”

“Not even a little, I am probably one of the most introverted vampire’s you’ll ever meet and I’m a pretty outgoing guy.”

“Wow, that’s really something,” the wolf grins.

“Anyway, back to dhampirs, while purebloods can utilize elemental magic, walk in the sun to some extent, control the weak minded with compulsion, and all of that other jazz, we also have a shit ton of weaknesses that you probably already know of, being a hunter. Sireling’s are much the same but are considered impure, like curseborn’s are in regards to werewolves. They don’t have a pulse and therefore are considered undead. I, however,” he gestures to himself, “am alive, obviously, since I have a pulse. But sireling's have to pretty much be on the brink of death in order to be turned, and the bite kills them. The thing that brings them back is the healing properties of the bite itself, and honestly, while they also have a healing factor of their own, it’s less potent than a pureblood or dhampirs.”

Eren nods, listening to the blond with rapt attention.

“Dhampirs, on the other hand, don’t have many of these weaknesses. BUT, there are two types,” the blond relays holding up two fingers.

Eren blinks in confusion, “Two types?”

“Yes, there are two types of dhampirs and I’ll explain. If a pureblood vampire mates with a human, that dhampir would have both of their parents strongest traits. They can walk in sunlight without flinching. Sure, they might become uncomfortable, like sunburns are for humans, but it usually doesn’t bother them. Pureblood dhampirs aren’t phased by silver. They can still get injured in the same ways a human and a pureblood could, but silver doesn’t bother them. Their healing factor is a bit slower but otherwise, aren’t impeded much. Especially if they are a blood drinker. These types of dhampirs are usually referred to as halfblood’s, halfblood’s also have the ability to use elemental magic and compulsion, much like their pureblood parent. 

Eren gives him a nod in understanding, “now,” Farlan continues, “dhampirs that are born from sireling vampires and humans are referred to as Halflings. Halfling dhampirs, while stronger than their respective sirelings, can’t stay in the sun for nearly as long as their halfblood counterparts. They also _have_ to consume blood to live, like humans need to drink water. Their healing factor is almost non-existent. Like, they heal faster than the average human, but that is about it. They also can’t use magic or compulsion.”

“Wow… that’s a lot more information than I expected. It’s kind of technical when you get down to it,” Eren admits, the interest clear in his voice.

“It is, but the same can also be said of your kind. Levi mentioned you were a Jaeger?”

“Yeah,” Eren replies.

“Well, the same works in regards to you too. Or rather, your bloodline. Jaeger’s from what I understand were bred from wolfborn’s and human’s. While I’m sure it’s not _impossible_ to have mated with a curseborn, I don’t think a race of expert hunter’s would have allowed impures into their bloodline. So, in vampiric terms, you would be considered a halfblood.”

Eren clutches onto a cushion of his own, deep in thought. “So… even though I was born _technically_ human, and then bit later in life, I am in fact, _technically_ a wolfborn?”

“Depending on how much wolfborn blood was in your veins at the time, yeah, it’s safe to say. Can you not shift?” Farlan asks, his brow furrowed.

“No… I can, it’s just… I didn’t even _know_ I could. This whole time, I thought I was a curseborn, I didn’t even know let alone consider that I could shift until Kenny told me a week ago.”

“Huh.” Farlan’s eyebrows raise in surprise. “It’s kind of ironic that you’re learning more about yourself by conversing about vampires.”

Eren snorts despite himself. “No kidding… it’s strange… but oddly fitting. But that does beg the question, is Levi a halfblood or a halfling?”

“We think he’s a halfblood,” Farlan replies, “only because we already know he can use magic, aaaand, because that little shit head can compulse people,” Farlan sighs. 

A laugh bubbled out of Eren’s mouth, “Now I know there _has_ to be a story about that.”

“Oh, there are several. I’m sure he’ll tell you all about them some time, but let’s just say, high school was an interesting time in our lives.”

The corners of Eren’s eyes crinkle with mirth, “Izzy made mention of that too, but Levi seemed pretty embarrassed by it.”

“Let’s just say we’ve got _a lot_ of dirt on LeeLee,” Farlan replies deviously.

“I can’t wait to hear it,” Eren replies with sincerity.

“So was that all of your questions?”

“Not quite, if that’s okay?”

“Well, considering your night is technically my day, I have all the time in the world,” Farlan teases.

Eren smiles, “well when you put it like that…” he responds with amusement, before becoming serious again, “I was actually wondering if the stories were true about our kind.”

“The whole vampires vs. werewolves hatefest?”

Eren nods.

“Eehhh…” Farlan shrugs, “kind of. I think it’s mostly because our differences in demeanor, and also that biologically, we kind of repel one another. I’m sure when you first sensed me watching you, all sorts of danger signals were flaring, right?”

“Yeah, actually,” Eren confirms.

“Well, it’s the same for us, whenever there is a wolf around we definitely fuckin’ know. I think this is because we are wired to sense danger in the same kind of ways. That and, for the longest time, other than Orcs, and certain other creatures, like the fae, or demons, we were the biggest things on the food chain. Werewolves of old were kind of a primitive people, they worshipped the moon, revered nature, and only hunted out of necessity. In a way, they are a lot like Native American’s, while vampires are far more cunning. They let bloodlust, greed, and lust in general cloud their thinking and they don’t often care who they hurt when they satiate whatever needs their hearts desire,” Farlan gives a heavy sigh.

“For the longest time, and even still, I didn’t and don’t agree with most of the vampire culture. I’m not proud of what we are or where we came from, especially if most of it was born of blood and pain, my clan was actually killed off for their greed. They ran a brothel and enslaved a lot of young women. I honestly think that if it weren’t for Levi’s mom, I’d have been killed too. But rather than grow up as an orphan, her and Kenny looked after me. Levi and I grew up together, like brothers. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if we were actually related. Not that we ever confirmed this,” the vampire expresses solemnly.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to dredge up anything hurtful,” Eren expresses apologetically.

“Don’t be,” the blond assures, “It might have started off on the wrong foot, but I wouldn’t change any of it for the world. I love Levi and his family like they were my own,” he smiles.

Eren smiles at that too, it felt familiar. “I can relate, kind of. My best friends were basically the only family that mattered. Armin, my best friend, was basically more of a brother to me growing up, and Mikasa, well… her parents were killed by vampires, looking to traffick people in the Maria territory. After I rescued her, we ended up adopting her, too. She’s the best sister I could have ever asked for. We were very close, the three of us, Like you, Izzy, and Levi,” the wolf relays, nostalgia clouding his wistful expression.

“Eren,” Farlan begins.

“Yeah?” His green eyes blink, being pulled from his reverie. 

“I’m glad I got to meet you like this, I’m sure eventually we would have met, but I think this worked out the best,” Farlan answers the brunettes questioning expression by continuing, “talking with you, one on one like this, getting to know you as a person, I can see why Levi is so taken with you. I think you’re good for each other.”

Eren’s cheeks flush brightly, he knew he was no doubt about as red as a tomato.

Farlan laughs in delight, “shit, where was this docile kid earlier?! You certainly can’t be the same brat from the alley.”

Eren sputters in embarrassment before throwing his cushion at the blond. His pout on full display. “I’ll have you know I am fully prepared to beat some ass at any given time.”

“I have no doubt of that, Sparky,” the vampire laughs, giving him a toothy grin.

In the midst of pouting, Eren’s phone chimes and vibrates in his pocket. Pulling the offending device from its confines, he reads the notification. It was a text from Levi asking if he was okay, complete with a frowning and poop emoji. Eren smiles tenderly at his phone and Farlan gives him a cursory glance, a smile of his own in place.

“That him?”

“Yeah, he’s honestly too good to me,” Eren admits. Rather than reply, he hits the call button and places the receiver against his ear. Both men listen as the phone rings. The call connects on the second trill.

“You haven’t stood me up, have you?” Levi chides, his voice trying and failing to sound put out.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” the wolf replies disarmingly.

“What happened?” the other man asks, knowingly.

“I kind of ran into an issue and am laying low until it blows over.”

“Are you okay?” Levi replies, his voice laced with concern.

“Yeah, no less worse for wear than usual,” Eren jokes.

“That doesn’t sound promising. Do you need help?”

“No, no. I’m fine, I promise, I did; however, happen to find something of yours.”

“Do tell,” the raven replies curiously.

“He’s about 6 foot, lanky, blue-eyed and pale as death,” Eren teases.

“Hey!” Farlan whines, throwing both cushions at the wolf.

“You didn’t…” Levi replies incredulous, “are you serious?”

“As a heart attack.”

“How the hell did you manage that?” 

“Long story, I’ll let him tell you,” Eren teases, tossing the phone to Farlan, who fumbles to catch it. So much for vampires being agile.

“Farlan, what kind of tomfoolery have you gotten yourself into?” Eren hears Levi gripe.

“Aw, C’mon bro! How would you know if I was up to something?”

“Because you always are, and if I had to guess it involves Kenny somehow,” Levi deadpans.

“You are just too damn good.”

“Compliments won’t get you out of having your ass chewed out, now spill.” 

Eren snorts at that, smiling longingly at the phone.

“Well, first I want to start off by saying that, you have a lovely, but terrifying boyfriend,” Farlan announces.

Eren laughs and he hears Levi snort into the phone.

“And I also want to state for the record that Kenny is entirely to blame for all of this. AND I would also like to keep my girlfriend out of this. Please,” the vampire all but begs.

Levi makes a derisive sound that Eren knew held no promises.

“Leeeee, please. She will kill me. Stake my heart and hope to die, I swear I didn’t get into this on purpose,” Farlan pleads.

“I make no promises,” Levi decides, “she is a woman and therefore is terrifying and crafty by design, she will know by sunrise, I can assure you.”

Farlan gives the phone a long-suffering sigh. “At least tell her to direct her complaints to management, cause this is _not_ my department.”

Eren could practically hear Levi roll his eyes. 

“What happened.” Levi deadpans again, getting to the point.

“I was out running errands for your crazy ass uncle, when I might have stumbled across an Orc slash hunter bloodfest and I kind of intervened as I’m wont to do aaaaand they kind of tailed me for the last 3 days. I only escaped because your; again, lovely, but terrifying boyfriend saved me,” the blond supplies.

“Put him on the line,” Levi replies tersely, making the vampire physically recoil. Hesitantly he passes Eren the phone. Looking thoroughly haunted.

“Eren,” Levi intones.

“Speaking,” the brunette replies.

“How _low_ exactly do you have to lay?” Levi questions him, barely containing his shit, by the sound of it.

“I have it under control, I promise,” Eren assures him, “the idea is to lay low for the night and wait to see what happens. Although I’m not going to lie, I might have been compromised. The hunters that were after him were from Maria and although I don’t think they recognized me off the bat, I do think they might hang around. They likely know the make and model of my bike.”

Levi sighs heavily through the phone, a muttered ‘fuck’ could be heard soon after. “You can’t stay there, Eren. If they are as persistent as you say, it’ll only be a matter of time.”

“I know. I’ve already started formulating my next steps, but honestly… I think I’m at the point where I’ve hit _fuck it._ ”

“Gods… Eren…” the raven grits.

“Ah ah, hear me out,” the wolf interjects, Farlan blinks at him, mouthing ‘brave’ from across the couch.

“I plan on ditching the Ducati, much as it physically pains me, and while I might have to leave my apartment behind, I am _not_ leaving the city. I refuse,” Eren decides. 

“I’m coming to get you,” Levi informs him. 

“Since you haven't been seen, I’ll concede to this, but Levi, this could put you at risk,” Eren warns him.

“Every minute we live is a risk, brat. I’m not going to sit back while two of the most important people in my life wait to die. It’s not happening,” Levi informs him in a no-nonsense tone. “Besides… there’s nothing there for you anyway but a bunch of empty walls.”

“Are you getting at what I think you’re getting at?” Eren asks to confirm.

“If what you think I’m getting at is what I am getting at, then yes,” the witch reiterates, just to be a pain. This makes Eren laugh. “If I’m honest, I thought you’d gotten the hint already, but if I need to spell it out for you, I will.”

“Please, do spell it out for me, you know I won’t feel like I have a straight answer unless you do.”

“Fucking brat…” he sighs, “I want you to come _home._ ”

Eren’s eyes become glassy at that; and stupidly, he nods at the phone, not being able to articulate a response. Farlan, seeing his distress, grins, and hollers at the phone “I THINK THAT’S A YES.”

Eren flips him the bird and attempts to clear his throat.

“I’ll be there in 20 minutes, both of you better be packed and ready to go when I get there.”

Snatching the phone from the wolf, who was clearly in the midst of an emotional meltdown, Farlan replies with a grin, “you got it, bro!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaaaay, so now we know what Levi is, officially.  
> I loved writing this chapter. Farlan and Eren are fun to interact with. 
> 
> Drop me a comment and let me know what you thought~


End file.
